What is Gizzeria known for?

Founded between 1448 and 1450 by Albanian troops under Demetrio Reres, sent by Skanderbeg; the linguistic minority is protected by law 482 of 1999. Gizzeria Lido is the most famous kitesurf spot in Calabria, with steady thermal winds and European championships hosted on its beach. Brackish lagoon system of about 235 hectares separating the beach from the agricultural plain, a major birding site of the Tyrrhenian coast.

Gizzeria is a comune in the province of Catanzaro, Calabria region of Italy, about 144 kilometers from Reggio Calabria.

Calabria · Catanzaro

Gizzeria

An Arbëreshë hill village at 600 meters above the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia, with kitesurf beaches and brackish lagoons on the Tyrrhenian below.

600m

Elevation

144 km / 89 mi

Nearest hub (Reggio Calabria)

5,065

Population

May–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Borghi Autentici

Why come

Gizzeria sits on the Micatundo hill at 600 meters, above the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia in the northern Catanzaro province. The village, known in Arbëreshë Albanian as Jacarise, was founded between 1448 and 1450 by Albanian troops led by Demetrio Reres, sent by Skanderbeg to help the Kingdom of Naples retake Calabria; they were granted land here and stayed. The Arbëreshë linguistic minority is protected by Italian law 482 of 1999, and is still spoken in some households. The commune drops from the hill village down to a coastal frazione called Gizzeria Lido, where Lago La Vota, a brackish lagoon system of about 235 hectares, separates the beach from the agricultural plain. The thermal winds across the Tyrrhenian have made Gizzeria Lido the most famous kitesurf spot in Calabria; the European championships have been held here. The upper village holds the church, the older houses and the Arbëreshë memory; the lower frazione holds the beach economy.

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Gallery

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Known for

Lago La Vota
Brackish lagoon system of about 235 hectares along the coast between Gizzeria Lido and Falerna, protected as a regional natural reserve project area.
Gizzeria Lido
Long sandy and pebbly beach with steady thermal winds, the most famous kitesurf spot in Calabria, host to European championships.
Centro storico (Jacari)
The upper Arbëreshë village at 600 meters, with the Albanian linguistic heritage of the Reres foundation still partly alive.
Torre Mezza Praia
Old Saracen-era watchtower also known as the Torre di Moddone, on the coast above the lagoons.
Chiesa Madre
Parish church of the upper village, the historic religious center of the Arbëreshë community of Gizzeria.

When to visit

Best months · May–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through October is the season for both halves of Gizzeria. The kitesurf winds on the Lido pick up reliably from June through mid-September, with thermal breezes of eleven to twenty-five knots, and the European championship calendar peaks in late summer. July and August are hot on the coast, often above thirty-three degrees, but the upper village at 600 meters stays cooler, with evening breezes from the Reventino behind. November through April is quiet, the kitesurf schools close, and the lagoons fill with wintering birds. The Festa della Madonna in early September is the religious anchor.