Pazzano ( Calabrian: ) is a village and '' comune'' located in Locride's region in the province of Reggio Calabria (

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, southern Italy).

History

The first known mention of Pazzano dates to a 1094 document. The town was founded as a minerary center for the exploitation of iron (by pyrite and

limonite Limonite () is an iron ore consisting of a mixture of hydrated iron(III) oxide-hydroxides in varying composition. The generic formula is frequently written as FeO(OH)·H2O, although this is not entirely accurate as the ratio of oxide to hydroxid ...

) and

molybdenum Molybdenum is a chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42 which is located in period 5 and group 6. The name is from Neo-Latin ''molybdaenum'', which is based on Ancient Greek ', meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lea ...

(the latter in caves of Monte Stella and Monte Consolino) deposits. During the period of the

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...

, its 25 mines made Pazzano the most important mining centre in all of southern Italy. The minerals were processed at

Reali ferriere ed Officine di Mongiana Reali ferriere ed Officine di Mongiana or Villaggio Siderurgico di Mongiana (in English: ''Mongiana Royal Iron Foundry and Works'' or ''The Iron & Steel town of Mangiano'') was an iron and steel foundry in the small town of Mongiana, in Calabria ...

Mongiana Mongiana ( Calabrian: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Vibo Valentia in the Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about southeast of Vibo Valentia. Mongiana was the seat of the main ironworks and f ...

. Pazzano became a '' comune ''in 1811. Minerary activities lasted until the 20th century. During the 1950s, the inhabitants began to emigrate to northern Italy, and Pazzano's population drastically reduced. At

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

), since the 1950s the emigrants of Pazzano created a little Community in Brookvale (nicknamed ''Pazzaniedu'') and at

Narraweena Narraweena is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Narraweena is 18 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council and is part of ...

, every year take place the Santo Salvatore's fiest. There is also a little community at

Aliquippa Aliquippa is the largest city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located on the Ohio River about northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 9,238 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Formerly the l ...

in Pennsylvania (USA). By the 1980s the ecomuseum Ecomuseo delle ferriere e fonderie di Calabria (Ecomuseum of iron-foundry and foundry of Calabria) was to preserve and remember the industrial archaeology of the town.

Main sights

* ''Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo'' (Santa Maria's church) * ''

Santuario di Monte Stella Hermit of Santa Maria della Stella or Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Stella (in English: Sanctuary of Saint Mary of the Star) is an Italian hermitage, sited in a natural cave at Pazzano (Calabria) on Monte Stella in Calabria, Italy. From Pazza ...

'' (Monte Stella's Sanctuary) * The 25 old iron mines of Borbonic period, now closed: *Principe Ereditario (Settecento) *Carolina (Settecento) *S. Ferdinando (Settecento) *Regina *Noceto *Scolo *Galleria Italia *Galleria Piave *Galleria Acqua Calda *Contrì *San Giuseppe *R. Principe *Colle di Banno *Lucarello *S. Maria *Perrone *Gotto *perronello *Clementina *Clementina II *San Carlo *San Nicola *Campoli *Garibaldi *San Luigi *Grotta Nuova *Provvisoria *Regina ribasso *Melichicchi *Umberto I * ''Fontana Vecchia'' or ''Fontana dei minatori'' (Old Fountain or Miner's Fountain)

People

Giuseppe Coniglio Giuseppe Coniglio, known as U poeta, (December 2, 1922 in Pazzano (RC) – March 13, 2006 in Catanzaro), was an Italian poet who wrote in Pazzanese, a variety of the Calabrian dialect (language). Life Giuseppe Coniglio, born on 2 December 1922 ...

(December 2, 1922 – March 13, 2006), poet. He wrote ''Calabria contadina'' (poetry, 1973), ''Quattru chjacchjari e ddui arrisi'' (poetry, 1984), '' A terra mia'' (poetry, 1998) and ''Marcu e Filomena'' (theatrical comedy)

Economy

In the past Pazzano had an industrial activity related with Reali Ferriere di Mongiana, people who worked in the field in spring and summer period on winter worked in the iron mines. The subsistence agriculture produced olive oil, wine, grain, cheese, vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes, chicory, zucchini, beans, chickpeas, fruit like oranges, figs, and pears. There were also limestone quarries, hydraulic mills, and a homemade of dress production. The 1960s was also the period when emigration to Italian northern cities and year by year numerous economical activities closed. The economy of Pazzano now is largely based on agriculture: olive oil production, fruit harvesting, and religious tourism. In the early 21st century, there have been some attempts in

Vallata dello Stilaro 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

Serre calabresi The Serre Calabresi or ''Calabrian Serre'' ( Calabrian dialect: ''Serra'') are a mountain and hill area of Calabria, southern Italy, characterized by large extents of woods. The name could be derived by the Jewish ''Ser'', meaning "mountains", ...

to increase natural tourism with the creation of the near Parco naturale regionale delle Serre (Serre's park) and archaeological

industrial tourism Industrial tourism is tourism in which the desired destination includes industrial sites peculiar to a particular location. The concept is not new, as it includes wine tours in France, visits to cheesemakers in the Netherlands, Jack Daniel's disti ...

with the ecomuseum creation of Ecomuseo delle ferriere e fonderie di Calabria and the building of Museo della cultura mineraria (mine culture museum) in Pazzano.

Transportation

Pazzano is located on the SS 110 state road, from the coastal town of Monasterace Marina. There is a bus service, Federico, that links Pazzano with

Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label= Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popul ...

and several other towns including Stilo,

Caulonia Caulonia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about northeast of Reggio Calabria in the Stilaro Valley. Originally it was known as Castelvetere ...

, Gioiosa Ionica and Locri. The nearest railway station is Monasterace Marina (15 km).

Food

Pazzano's food is typical of Calabria, and includes: *''Pasta e casa'' (Home made pasta). * Ragù cooked with goat

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

. * Tripe ('trippa') and potatoes *Melanzane ('malangiani') ripiene (stuffed aubergine/egg-plant) *' Pipi Chini' (stuffed capsicum) *

Zippuli A ''zippula'' (plural: ''zippuli''; also spelled ''zeplee'' and ''zippuile'') is a fried dough made to a Calabria#Cuisine, recipe from Calabria, Italy. ''Zippuli'' are made with flour, water, yeast, boiled potatoes, and a pinch of salt. There are m ...

*''Pitta di San Martino'', San Martino's day (11 November) typical sweet *'' cuzzupe'', Easter typical sweet

References

External links

New site of Comune di Pazzano (2006)

Comunità montana Stilaro AllaroDialetto - 'u tripu da cona' on YouTube''Cunfrunti''1 (Feast of Saint Salvatore)on YouTube''Cunfrunti''2 (Feast of Saint Salvatore)on YouTubePazzanese proverb - YouTube
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Calabria Vallata dello Stilaro Articles containing video clips