Pizzo from Above

 

photo via Pizzo e ditorni

 

When the weather is nice, there are sometimes ultralight aircrafts - you know, the one with the noisy lawn mower engine - flying above Pizzo. And they take sometimes really nice photos, like the one I found on Facebook via Pizzo e ditorni.

 

It shows also the situation of the lungomare project (I call it the harbour project on this blog). Planned in 2008, not even half accomplished in 2013.... There is no progress since about two years.

 

Below, I added in light blue the missing extension for the harbour (see original plan). It is all still dusty dirt area. However, I heard the new major wants to continue, he is just reviewing the project (since over a year, he is elected). Probably the funds are not there anymore....

 

missing harbour excavation in light blue (June 2013)

 

But let's see another dusty project finish first - the restoring of the street pavement in the centro storico.

 

  

 

Pizzo Harbour Project (Update Spring 2013)

 

oh, this looks so nice, crystal clear sea

 

 

the harbour project of Pizzo in April 2013

 

 

but what is this?

 

 

it's not finished!

 

The harbour project of Pizzo, still unfinished. I introduced this wonderful project that kicked off in November 2010 here. It will add so much value to Pizzo. In my previous posts I also explained why the works were stopped.

 

The new mayor (since May 2012) wants to continue though - however, as I understood, he also is reviewing the entire project.

 

In my last picture above, I indicated the missing parts of the original project: A long area of the harbour should still be excavated, and the entrance to the grotto is not realized yet (see blue space). A bridge (yellow) would allow pedestrians to cross the waterway and view the grotta azzurra from outside.

 

Sometimes, in the mornings, I see anglers on the new mole. Sometimes, I see a group of teenagers taking a walk. Once, I saw a small motor boat entering the basin for a curious tiny "harbour round trip". At least from time to time someone is using the unfinished construction.

 

 

MORE INFORMATION:

• For future updates, please click here:  Harbour Project
• The introduction to the Pizzo Project (Lungomare) includes an update form June 2012 about the  stop of the project
• Progress photos from November 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Pizzo Calabro: Harbour Progress (November 2010)

In the last couple of days the excavation work at La Seggiola Bay in Pizzo has progressed rapidly. The work was interrupted for a few months after some resident (or residents?) had been suing the commune to protest against the planned harbour.

The photos below are taken from our balcony:

And at the end the project should look like this:

Pizzo Calabro will have a small yacht harbour and a grotto to visit by boat. If the works continue with no more major interruption, it will be ready for summer 2011. The bigger yacht harbour, however, is still at Vibo Marina, 4 km further South, where yachts have their last pit stop before going to the Eolie Islands. Another yacht harbour, about 25 km further down the coast line, is in Tropea.

 

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If you are interested in further updates, click label Harbour Project

If you have not seen the initial post, read Pizzo Project (Lungomare)

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Pizzo Project (Lungomare)

Sometime ago I presented a project of the commune di Pizzo for the  lungomare  between la marina and la Seggiola.

The map below shows the Marina on the right and the little bay called La Seggiola on the left:

Inbetween boths sights of the village is a not so attractive 'lungomare' which was provisorically installed some years ago to protect the rock on which thrones the historical centre of Pizzo from being washed out by the sea.

However, there is one more attraction hiding ! Almost underneath our house one can still see the entrance of the "grotta azzurra". When my husband was a little boy (not so many years ago) he used to go by boat very close to the grotta and even swim inside the grotta. Today grows grass around the entrance and it easily can be overseen.

position of the grotta azzurra

A project of the commune of Pizzo forsees a reopening of the grotta. The plan is to enlarge the bay by letting in sea water until the grotta. Eventually this area will be used as yacht haven and small boats will carry visitors inside the grotta azzurra.

Pizzo as it was for many years

Pizzo's new lungomare that connects the Marina with La Seggiola

and opens the grotta azzurra for visitors

draft of the project

photo from the inside of the grotta today

photo sources: with friendly permission for publication by Arch. P. Pitt



Update November 2010:

They have started with the earth moving work. Here a photo taken from our balcony:

PS:
Oh, yes, it is a fantastic project - and the view from our house will be even more interesting.
I only hope that the earth moving work they do, and the digging, does not affect the rock... and the houses on top...


Update July 2012:

Since this post is one of the most popular posts of my blog, I think a little update is necessary. Last summer, 2011, they finished the digging of the harbor. There is no connection to the gotta, however. A neighbour, who lives above the gotta, stopped this part of the project with a lawsuit. He claimed the work would endanger the rock on which many houses of the Centro storico of Pizzo are located. Well, maybe not that absurd.

But after they did all the earthwork, the heavy equipment and trucks disappeared. Now, we have just a deserted sandy dessert around the half finished "harbor" - that has not seen any boat yet, I guess it is not deep enough - and the wind transports fine dust every day up to our balconies and through the windows...

The new elected major Callipo (since May 2012) wants to continue with the project. But people here say that the commune has no more money. It seems a typical Calabrian project. It will take more time than other projects elsewhere. But it will be accomplished one day, I am sure, because it is a great project, that will make Pizzo even more attractive in the future.

For further updates click Harbour Project

Pizzo: lungomare

This is too good to be true! - Pizzo's lungomare (seafront) between the Marina and the Seggiola bay is going to be developped in a gorgeous way! See the visualized project below. Before and after.

Pizzo's historical center is located on a rock, 54 meter above sea level. So far tons of earth and stones were put in front of the rock to protect it from erosion throug the sea. Later, the entire rock itself was renovated with EU's financial support some years ago.

And now the city authorities are planning to enlarge the small fisher boat harbour (darsena) at the Seggiola by letting the water in until the grotta azzura. This is right below our house - I mean, 54 meters below our house.

Pizzo's seaside now:


And Pizzo's future seaside:


I do not know when they will start the project, since part of the financing apparently still needs to be approved. We hope that our architetto Pino Pitt who is involved with this project will finally get it going.

It is too good to be true... how pittoresque will this be? This will attract so many - tourists and locals - for a walk (or jogging), from the Marina, along the seafront promenade, across the little bridge with a glimpse of the blue grotto until the Seggiola where you could climb up the hill back to the historical town center. What a fantastic project!

Photo source and copyright: Arch. Pino Pitt (email: pino.pitt@virgilio.it)