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Murat Castle

The seaside keep where Murat, king of Naples, was executed by firing squad in 1815.

  • Pizzo
  • Castle
Plan your visit
Where
Pizzo
Best for
Joachim Murat's 1815 execution
Allow
45 minutes
Tickets
From €2.50
Checked September 2026

Napoleon's flamboyant brother-in-law Joachim Murat, king of Naples, met his end in this small Aragonese castle in October 1815, court-martialed and shot by firing squad after landing nearby in a doomed bid to reclaim his throne.

He is said to have directed the execution himself, refusing a blindfold. His cell and the room where the sentence was handed down are preserved as a small museum, all of it a short, strange walk from the piazza where Pizzo's tartufo gelato was supposedly invented, one of Calabria's odder juxtapositions of tragedy and treat.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The exhibition on Murat's last daysFrom imprisonment to execution

    The rooms trace Joachim Murat's final days, from his arrest to the trial and the confession before he was shot.Inside the castle

  2. The Canova fragmentAntonio Canova

    All that remains of a sculpture by Canova lost in Garibaldi's time is the carved helmet, now shown here.Museum rooms

  3. The Torre MaschiaWatchtower of the late 14th century

    The original Angevin watchtower was built against Saracen raids and is the heart around which later walls grew.Core of the castle

  4. The moat and the stone bridge15th-century Aragonese defenses

    The quadrangular castle drops straight to the sea on one side and is circled by a deep moat on the other, where a stone bridge replaced the old drawbridge.Landward side of the castle

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €2.50
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
45 minutes
Best time
An August evening, when the seafront piazza below fills up
Getting there
The castle stands right above Pizzo's main piazza on the Costa degli Dei, an easy walk from the town center; the closest train station is Vibo Valentia-Pizzo, a short taxi ride away.

€1.50 reduced for over-65s and ages 6-18; free for visitors with disabilities and children under 6. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Order your tartufo at the piazza's Gelateria Ercole or one of its rivals before or after the visit: the town treats the dessert with a seriousness that rewards trying more than one version.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at Murat Castle?

About 45 minutes is enough for the exhibition, the tower and the views. Add time for a gelato in the piazza just below.

Is Murat Castle worth visiting?

Yes, especially for the story: Napoleon's brother-in-law, king of Naples, ended his life here in 1815. The castle is small and atmospheric, and it sits right above Pizzo's piazza.

Can you see Murat Castle and the Piedigrotta church in one day?

Yes, both are in Pizzo and work well as a single outing. Add the tartufo gelato in the piazza and you have a full, easy half day.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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