Pizzo calabro, Fortress in Pizzo, Calabria, Italy
Pizzo Calabro is a fortress in the historic center of Pizzo, Calabria, sitting on a steep rocky cliff above the Gulf of Saint Euphemia. Its thick stone walls and towers rise directly from the rock, with a layout that follows the natural shape of the land.
The oldest parts of the fortress date to the late 14th century, when the first large tower was built to defend the coastline. In the 15th century, Aragonese rulers expanded it with new walls and towers, making it part of a wider coastal defense network against pirates.
The Castello Murat is now a museum where visitors can walk through the rooms where Murat was held. Some rooms are set up with life-sized figures in period costumes showing what daily life looked like during his imprisonment.
The fortress sits right next to Pizzo's main square and is easy to reach on foot from anywhere in the town center. A combo ticket is available for those who also want to visit the nearby Chiesetta di Piedigrotta.
A mark on the wall of the inner courtyard still indicates the spot where Murat was shot in October 1815. Just before his execution, he reportedly asked the soldiers to aim for his heart and spare his face.
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