Piedigrotta church

The little church of Piedigrotta lies on the beach below Pizzo and is hewn into a cave in the rock. According to tradition it dates back to the 17th century: the crew of a Neapolitan ship is said to have vowed, in a storm, to build an altar for the icon of the Virgin on board, and after being saved they enlarged a small cavity in the rock for it. At the end of the 19th century the craftsman Angelo Barone of Pizzo carved figures into the rock; his son Alfonso continued the work, and later a third Barone, Giorgio, restored and added to the pieces.

Today you can see more than a hundred figures, including a nativity scene, a miraculous catch of fish, angels and saints. The later additions from the 1960s include a relief of Pope John XXIII in front of John F. Kennedy. The way in leads down a staircase above the sea and then along the shore to the cave; the return is back up into the town. The stone looks golden in the morning and bronze at sunset.

The easiest option is to park at the Piedigrotta car park and walk down the concrete stairway, with sea views along the way. The church closes in bad weather, and opening hours are irregular outside the main season, so check before you go (as of October 2026). Inside it is dark and damp and smells of salt; light falls in from above, and some of the figures are covered in moss.