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The Vallata dello Stilaro is a valley in the Province of Reggio Calabria of Southern Italy. It takes its name from river that flow in the area, the Stilaro.
The principal settlements present in the valley are Bivongi, Monasterace, Pazzano and Stilo. The Ecomuseo delle ferriere e fonderie di Calabria, preserves and promotes the natural, artistic and cultural things of the place.
The first evidence of settlements in the valley come from the ancient Greeks between the 8th and 7th centuries BC where along the coast, near the Assi river, the established the little colony of Caulonia, estimated to have included 10,000 people. Kaulon trades with inland indigenous people that mined minerals. They coined money with local silver. For its sources Kaulon was desired by Locri and Kroton colonies. In the first half of the 4th century BC, the Stilaro river (at that time called Elleporo) was the site of an important battle between Dionisio I and Lega italiota (italiota league) made up by a group of colonies of Magna Grecia. Lega italiota was defeated.
After that, the region was conquered by Romans, who largely mined copper and created a colonial penalty for "damnata ad metalla" and deforesting the valley for wood and shipbuilding.
In the 10th century under the Byzantine empire, there was economic and demographic growth and 22 calasi (little villages) with 37 convents, churches, and hermit caves were established by the Greek monks of Saint Basilio. The "Casale of Stilo" grew in importance and incorporated Pazzano, Stignano, Guardavalle, Riace and Camini "casalia". On 15 July 982 AD, the Battle of Stilo was fought between Ottone II and a Byzantine/Arab alliance which won.
The first iron foundries come out at 1516, owned by Charles V, some of those were sold between 1523 and 1523 with two diplomas to his esquire Cesare Fieramosca: Campoli Village's foundries and Bivongi foundry. In this Norman period the valley turn to Catholicism, and the Hermit of Monte Stella is turned in a sanctuary dedicated to Mary. A statue was located in the cave.
At the end of 16th century there was an increase in mining at the Complesso siderurgico dell'Assi (Assi iron complex). In 1771 a new iron complex was created near the Serre mountain chain and Valley of Stilaro: Polo siderurgico di Mongiana
In 1811, under French power, Stilo villages: Camini, Pazzano, Placanica and Riace became autonomous comunes (Italian for villages). During the Kingdom of Italy, in 1875 two railways came to the area. In 1881, 200,000 ducati was spent to build a new route to link the Ionian Sea with the Tyrrhenian Sea that cross the Valley of Stilaro and Serre mountains (future Statale State 110).
In 1922 and 1923 two small hydroelectric power plants were built in Bivongi.
On 9 July 1940, during the Second World War, east of Cape Stilo, the Battle of Punta Stilo took place between the Italian and British navies.
In 2012 was announced the discovery of a pretended paleolithic settlement in Boario locality at Stilo.
Media related to Vallata dello Stilaro Allaro at Wikimedia Commons
Pazzano is a village and comune located in Locride's region in the province of Reggio Calabria.
Stilo is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is 151 kilometres (94 mi) from Reggio.
Santa Caterina dello lonio is a town and comune in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.
Bivongi is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Catanzaro and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria in the Stilaro Valley, at the feet of the Monte Consolino.
Camini is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Catanzaro and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria.
Caulonia is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of Catanzaro and about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria in the Stilaro Valley. Originally it was known as Castelvetere, but in 1862 the citizens decided to change the name of the town to that of the ancient city Caulonia. They believed that this city had been located on their territory, but it was eventually proved that ancient Caulonia was to be found near modern Monasterace, 16 kilometres (10 mi) to the northeast.
Monasterace is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Catanzaro and about 90 kilometres (56 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria. The ruins of the ancient Greek city Caulonia are located a short distance north of the frazione Monasterace Marina, on the coast. Also north of Monasterace Marina is the Monasterace Archeological Museum, where finds from Caulonia are exhibited.
Placanica is a comune in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Catanzaro and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria. Placanica borders the following communes: Caulonia, Pazzano, Stignano.
Riace is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Catanzaro and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria. Riace borders the municipalities of Camini and Stignano.
Stignano is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Catanzaro and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Reggio Calabria. Stignano borders the following municipalities: Camini, Caulonia, Pazzano, Placanica, Riace, Stilo.
The Ecomuseo delle ferriere e fonderie di Calabria is an ecomuseum in Bivongi, Calabria, southern Italy.
The Stilaro is an Italian river, which runs through Bivongi, Pazzano and Stilo in the Province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria and, along with the river, gives its name to the Vallata dello Stilaro Allaro, the valley through which it flows. It is 59.17 km long.
Ferdinandea is an area of 3600 hectare in Serre Calabresi included in the territories of Bivongi, Stilo, Brognaturo, Mongiana and Serra San Bruno in the provinces of Reggio Calabria and Vibo Valentia.
The Allaro is a river in Calabria, Southern Italy. It flows into the Ionian Sea at Marina di Caulonia. It gives its name to the valley through which it runs and is a candidate for the site of the ancient river Sagra.
Monte Consolino is a mountain in the Serre Calabresi range, in the Vallata dello Stilaro of south-western Calabria, in southern Italy. Monte Consolino has an altitude of 701 metres (2,300 ft).
Monte Stella is a mountain in the Serre Calabresi, in the Locride, Calabria, southern Italy. It is part of the Vallata dello Stilaro, in the comune of Pazzano.
Monte Mammicomito is a massif in the Serre Calabresi, southern Calabria, southern Italy. It is composed of Devonian-origin limestone.
The Natural Regional Park of Serre is a protected natural area of Calabria, Italy created in 2004.
Reali ferriere ed Officine di Mongiana or Villaggio Siderurgico di Mongiana was an iron and steel foundry in the small town of Mongiana, in Calabria (Italy). It was founded in 1770–71 by the Bourbons of Naples and closed in 1881, 20 years after the Kingdom of Italy was established. In 1860 the foundry employed up to 1600 workers.
Caulonia or Caulon was an ancient city of Magna Graecia on the shore of the Ionian Sea. At some point after the destruction of the city by Rome in 200 BC, the inhabitants moved to a location further inland. There they founded Stilida, which developed into the modern town Stilo.