 The first urban settlement of the country was the "Bagghiu", a large open-air court, where the houses overlooked and was accessed by a large common entrance dominated by an arch placed at the edge of the Spatola torrent, where inhabitants could easily draw water.The first census taken in 1752 by the priest, don Stefano Grasso, shows that there were 64 houses and 185 inhabitants.The Bourbon army destroyed much of the town by fire on May 8, 1849 as retribution for the towns support of the 1848 Sicilian revolution.