Vallata dello Stilaro
Vallata dello Stilaro is a valley in Calabria, in the province of Reggio Calabria. The name derives from the River Stilaro. In the valley are the towns Bivongi, Monasterace Pazzano and Stilo.
The communities
The following table shows the population and area of the four communities.
History
The earliest evidence of human settlement date back to the eighth century BC, when Greeks near the mouth of the city Kaulon Assi founded, according to estimates, had up to 10,000 inhabitants. Were funded from the silver coins here - so-called Stater - coined. In the middle of the fourth century BC was the Stilaro, who was then called Elleporo, scene of a battle between the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse and the Italiote covenant, which lost this merger of some cities of Magna Graecia.
In the 10th century it was under the rule of the Byzantine Empire economic development and population growth. It created numerous small settlements, called casali, with many monasteries, churches and hermitages that were founded by the Greek monks of St. Basil. During this time, the place Stilo gained more and more importance.
On July 15, 982 a battle between Otto II and the Byzantine- Arab alliance took place, where the Emperor Otto was defeated.
In the 11th century Stilo Norman property was. From this time, the first mention of a Norman castle in Stilo and also first documents about the removal of minerals come from.
Economy
The region's history is closely connected with the extraction of iron ore. In ancient times, silver was recovered. The Complesso siderurgico dell'Assi in the 18th and the steelworks of Mongiana in the 19th century were important sites of the iron and steel industry. In the 18th century, a blast furnace was in Pazzano a weapons factory and built in Stilo. 1875 were two short rail lines and a cable car built to transport the minerals to the coast, where a small harbor stood ready in Monasterace for shipment.
Today, the economy is mainly agriculturally oriented: There is a strong production of olive oil and the cultivation of fruit. In Bivongi also DOC wines are produced. In addition, in the valley Stilaro - Allaro sheep is operated and produced pecorino cheese and honey produced.
Traffic
The valley is mainly accessible by two roads: the Strada Statale SS 106, section of the European Route 90, which runs along the coast of the Ionian Sea along by Monasterace Marina, and the SS 110 connecting the Monasterace Marina with Stilo and Pazzano and further performs the Calabrian mountains to the Tyrrhenian sea to the west of Calabria. Another road is actually the Ionian train from Catanzaro Lido to Reggio Calabria, the regional trains also stop at the station in Monasterace Marina.