Monte Stella

Monte Stella

The Grotta of Monte Stella.
Elevation 832 m (2,730 ft)
Location
Monte Stella
Calabria, Italy
Range Serre Calabresi

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 Stella is composed of Jurassic limestones.

History

At the base of the limestone rocks, at their conjunction with a Paleozoic bed, are limonite (iron mineral) rocks whose exploitation started from around 1000 CE. The mines continued to work until the late 19th century.

Until the 17th century the mountain was home to a hermitage of Orthodox monks, later replaced by Basilian monks. In the grotto of the sanctuary is a statue in Sicilian style, sculpted in 1562.

Sources