L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano O n a rocky cliff a b o v e t h e T y r r h e n i a n S e a , i n C a l - a b r i a ' s province of Vibo Valentia, we f i n d t h e t o w n o f P i z z o . Small in population but rich in reputation, it is known across Italy as "the town of gelato." Its fame, however, d o e s n ' t c o m e f r o m t h e amount of gelato produced, but from a single, iconic cre- a t i o n : t h e T a r t u f o d i Pizzo, a dense, round ball of hazelnut and chocolate gela- t o , f i l l e d w i t h a m o l t e n chocolate heart dusted with cocoa powder. Believe us when we say this is no ordinary dessert, it is a regional treasure and a point of pride for the town's residents. P i z z o i t s e l f i s a l o v e l y place to be: it sits along the Costa degli Dei, the Coast of the Gods, a stretch of Cal- abrian coastline marked by cliffs, sandy beaches, and crystal-clear sea. But, unlike some of the more touristed areas of southern Italy, Pizzo retains the feel of a lived-in town: life revolves around its m a i n p i a z z a , P i a z z a d e l l a R e p u b b l i c a , w h e r e t a b l e s spill onto the stone pave- ment and locals and visitors alike linger – often with a gelato in hand – watching p e o p l e s t r o l l o r c h a t t i n g away the day. If we want to find out how Pizzo became Italy's gelato capital, we must go back to the early 1950s. According to local tradition, a gelato maker named Giuseppe De M a r i a , k n o w n a s D o n Pippo, was preparing frozen desserts for a wedding ban- quet but ran out of molds, so he improvised by shaping gelato by hand, combining hazelnut and chocolate fla- vors around a soft chocolate center, then rolling the ball in cocoa powder and sugar. The result looked a bit like a truffle – tartufo in Italian – and the guests were immedi- ately taken with it, so what began as the random solu- tion to a culinary problem became a beloved permanent fixture in town. Today, the original recipe is still used by several historic gelaterie in town. If you love ice cream, of course, you know that truffle gelato is ubiquitous across Italy, and you can even find it in some restaurants and ice cream parlors abroad, but the Tartufo di Pizzo is different because it is pro- tected as a traditional, place- specific product. It must be handmade, using real ingre- d i e n t s w i t h o u t i n d u s t r i a l stabilizers or artificial fla- vorings, and it must be pro- duced within Pizzo itself. As you may imagine, the tartufo turned into a sym- bol of local identity and pride: nearly every visitor to Pizzo comes for it, and during the summer months, t h e g e l a t e r i e a r e r a r e l y empty. Each of them claims a subtle variation: some pre- fer a silkier outer layer, oth- ers a more intense chocolate c e n t e r , a n d t h e d e b a t e s around which is better are friendly but fierce. Locals have their loyalties, and reg- ulars know the difference b e t w e e n t h e o f f e r i n g s a t Dante, Ercole, or Morino, three of the most famous tartufo makers. B u t P i z z o o f f e r s m o r e than dessert; it's a place full of history, too. The town was founded in ancient times and played a key role in the p o w e r s t r u g g l e s o f t h e Napoleonic era. One of its l a n d m a r k s i s t h e Aragonese Castle, better known as Castello Murat, w h e r e J o a c h i m M u r a t , Napoleon's brother-in-law a n d K i n g o f N a p l e s , w a s imprisoned and executed in 1815. Today, this beautiful building by the sea houses a small museum recounting Murat's life and death. J u s t o u t s i d e t h e t o w n center, the Chiesetta di Piedigrotta offers another surprise: it is a small cave c h u r c h c a r v e d i n t o t h e c o a s t a l r o c k , f i l l e d w i t h hand-sculpted figures made directly from the tufa stone. It was created in the 17th c e n t u r y b y s h i p w r e c k e d sailors and later expanded by generations of local arti- sans. It may be modest in size, but it's certainly one of Calabria's more unusual and evocative sites. Geographically, Pizzo is well-positioned for visitors exploring southern Italy, as i t ' s a b o u t 3 0 k i l o m e t e r s f r o m t h e b e t t e r - k n o w n beach town of Tropea and j u s t a s h o r t d r i v e f r o m Lamezia Terme Internation- al Airport. Trains connect Pizzo to other parts of Cal- abria, and regional buses m a k e i t a c c e s s i b l e e v e n without a car. The town's s e t t i n g , b e t w e e n s e a a n d hills, offers dramatic views a t e v e r y t u r n , e s p e c i a l l y from the promenade and the terraced restaurants that overlook the harbor. During the summer months, Pizzo comes alive with evening promenades, local festivals, open-air concerts, and, of course, plenty of gelato. Nat- u r a l l y , t h e i c o n i c t a r t u f o remains the most requested d e l i c a c y , a n d e v e n l o c a l s from nearby towns make the trip to try it. But many of the town's gelaterie offer other specialties, often inspired by C a l a b r i a a n d i t s n a t u r a l bounty: some experiment with local ingredients like licorice, bergamot, or even spicy 'nduja, though those are typically reserved for the more adventurous. While food is at the heart of Pizzo's charm, what really stands out is how naturally the town holds onto its tra- ditions: there's no effort to modernize or dress things up; in Pizzo, history speaks for itself. Visitors come to t r y a d e s s e r t , b u t e n d u p e x p e r i e n c i n g s o m e t h i n g genuine, made with care, in the very place it was first imagined. And in doing so, they enjoy the quiet beauty that defines much of south- ern Italy: warm sun on old stone streets, the sound of the sea, the scent of coffee, and loads of friendliness. P i z z o d o e s n ' t a i m t o impress with grand monu- ments or high-end appeal. It's not Rome, and it's not Capri. But for those who go, it offers something very per- s o n a l : a p e r f e c t g e l a t o enjoyed under the Calabrian sky, in a town that's turned sweetness into a way of life. FRANCESCA BEZZONE From beach to piazza, every day in Pizzo ends with gelato The preparation of a traditional Tartufo di Pizzo (Photo: Emily Mary Wilson/Shutterstock); bottom right: a stunning view of Pizzo Calabro, the town of ice cream! (Photo: Vampy1/Dreamstime) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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