Palizzi is a municipality located in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria. The municipal territory includes the hamlets of Palizzi Superiore, Palizzi Marina, Pietrapennata, and Spropoli.
Historical Background
Palizzi has ancient origins, with evidence of human settlements dating back to the Paleolithic. Over the centuries, the area was subject to various dominations, including the Byzantine and Norman. In the 15th century, it was a fief of the Ruffo family, later passing to the Aragona d’Ayerbe, to the Colonna in 1580, to the Arduino in 1654, and finally to the De Blasio family until 1806, when, with the abolition of feudalism, it became an autonomous municipality.
Cultural and Natural Heritage
The area offers evocative landscapes, with hills overlooking the Ionian Sea and an inland area rich in Mediterranean vegetation. Among the points of interest is the Parish Church of the Holy Spirit in Palizzi Superiore, which preserves valuable works of art. The area is also a starting point for excursions into the Aspromonte.

Palizzi Castle
Palizzi Castle dominates Palizzi Superiore, rising on a massive rock. It has been declared a National Monument by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The exact date of construction is unknown, but a Latin inscription at the entrance reports that in 1580 it was already "decaying with age". It was rebuilt in 1751 by the Colonna family, and in 1866 it was renovated and expanded by Baron Tiberio de Blasio. In 1943, Carlo de Blasio took refuge there when Reggio was bombed by the Anglo-Americans. According to a certificate by the Palizzi notary Saverio Grimaldi, in 1751 the castle was surrounded by walls with two towers. Inside were a large staircase with a single window, the kitchen "with its chimney and fireplace", a room with a broken wooden ceiling, "a rustic antechamber also with a wooden ceiling", a series of other rooms, storerooms, and cellars. Still visible are the perimeter walls (with ogival windows), part of the original walls, and a tower lit by two ogival windows. Inside are the Colonna coat of arms and, carved into the rock, the dungeons.

Hamlets
• Palizzi Superiore: medieval village located at the foot of the castle, characterized by narrow alleys and traditional architecture.
• Palizzi Marina: coastal hamlet known for its beaches and for the railway station that connects it to Reggio Calabria and Roccella Jonica.
• Pietrapennata: located at 673 meters above sea level, it is one of the most picturesque hamlets, offering a magnificent view.
• Spropoli: small village close to the sea, near the Promontory of Hercules (Capo Spartivento), known as “the village of marble hills in the valley of oleanders”.