On Route 18, 100 km north east of Reggio. Briefly it was the precarious capital of the Kingdom of Naples after Bonaparte had chased the Bourbons away and put his brother-in-law Joachim Murat on the throne. ‘Give me 100 Neapolitan bravoes and I will conquer Europe’, said Murat – but his bravoes turned on him and escorted him to his execution by firing squad on the terrace of Pizzo castle (1814). Pizzo, 6 km north of vibo Valentia, has excellent safe bathing on a 2-km strip of sand which links it with Vibo Marina. The latter was a naval base in Roman times, then a struggling commercial port. It is now coming forward as a yachting harbour and holiday cottage centre.

Vibo Valentia, 3 km inland, has also awakened from a long sleep. It adjoins Hipponion, an important city of Magna Graecia, and it displays the archaeological finds in its museum at Palazzo Gagliardi on Piazza Garibaldi. Remains of 2,500-year-old Doric Temples are visible.