Pazzano

Historical reports show that Pazzano was a miner village dating back to the 13th century. Mining activities concerned the extraction of limonite that was than transformed into iron in the foundries of Mongiana and Ferdinandea. Evidences of the past are still visible in the area: the entrances of the mines (bocche di Miniere), the washing area (Laveria), the “old” or Miner Fountain. There are three possible etymologies of Pazzano: the name would derive from the root “passus”, that is passage, from the French “plateau” or from the Spanish “plata”, meaning metal-bearing soil. The first settlement was in fact erected around ancient pyrite mines that were originally in the territory of Stilo. By the administrative regulations issued by Championnet (1799), Pazzano was a part of the Satriano canton. By the French law dated January 19th 1807, it became a Luogo and was included in Stilo Government, in 1811 it became a Municipality and in, 1816, it was included in the Reggio Calabria Province.