according to ovid's legend, the capital owes its name to hercules: the half-god, returning from one of his mythological labors, wanted to honor his friend crotone, accidentally injured to death by the hero himself. to repent for his grave mistake, hercules constructed the city as a memorial. according to history, this is the city of the greek school founded by pythagoras, and native land of the olympic athlete milo.
among the most renowned sites, the castle of charles v is situated in the ancient part of the city, and so is the cathedral, which hosts important and precious artisan works. along the fortified walls of the castle lie the historic city center with its nobile palaces, visible in the old city. the national archaeological museum exhibits unique items, foremost among them hera's treasure.
just a few miles away from the city, the archaeological area of capo colonna is where the ancient temple of hera lacinia once rose. cirò, renowned for the homonymous wine, is situated on a hill dominating punta alice, around the remains of the carafa feudal castle. the ancient village is well-preserved and comprises many genteel dwellings, tangled streets, flights of stairs and religious buildings. the most ancient part of the village begins at porta di mavilia. in this area historic residences, such as the capoano palace, the vergi palace, the pignataro, astorini-susanna, liotti and adorisio palaces can be admired.
cirò marina was detached from the comune of cirò in 1952. here stand important archaeological and cultural centers, specifically the ruins of apollo's temple in the doric style, discovered in punta alice in 1921. the center of the town is surrounded by orange grooves, vineyards and olive grooves. since 2004 it has been awarded the prestigious blue flag for the cleanliness of its sea and the quality of its beach services and offerings.
isola di capo rizzuto also boasts rather ancient origins. its name derives from the term asylos, meaning shelter in the greek. le castella is a very famous resort characterized by the beauty of the sea and of its aragonese castle, which seems to rise out of the waters; the castle is linked to the rest of the terrain by a small strip of land. the cathedral of capo rizzuto has been an episcopal seat since 1818. then, the aquarium, also a sea environment educational center if ideal for younger visitors. finally, the old and new towers are part of the coastal defensive system.
san severina is one of the most suggestive centers of the region: it is situated on a rocky cliff at 1,070 feet above sea level, in the center of the neto river valley. due to its peculiar location, it is called the "stone ship.? san severina's castle, with its imposing four towers, can be seen from every corner of the valley. the cathedral dates back to the 13th century and still bears the traces left by centuries of history. the church of santa filomena, also known as "pozzolino," is developed on two levels, the lower part of which is dedicated to the madonna del pozzo.
