Kaulonia
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KAULONIA

Kaulonia is an archaeological site of evocative beauty, facing the Southern Ionic Coasts near to Monasterace.

History

Legend says it was founded by Kaulon, a Trojan war hero and son of the Amazon Clete. History instead, claims it only during the VII century BC, stating its foundation by the Achei guided by Tifone of Egio.
It became allied to neighbouring Crotone, who supported expansionistic aims, and with which it sided in the Battle of the Sagra (midway through the VI century BC). The clash, fought in Kaulonian territory against Locri Epizephyrii and Reggio, was lost by Crotone, who shortly afterwards, turned against Sibari and destroyed it (510 BC).

Defeat didn't stop Kaulonia from developing and assuming enough economic importance to mint its own coinage. Kaulonian coins were thought to be the most beautiful in all of Magna Greece.

During the IV century BC it merged into the Lega Italiota (Crotone, Thurri, Heraclea, Metaponto, Caulonia and Reggio), rising up against the Lucani in the North, and from Sicily; the aims of the expansionistic ideas of Dionigi of Siracusa.
For this reason, it was besieged and taken by Dionigi (389 BC), who deported the inhabitants to Siracusa and annexed the City to the Locri ally.

The City was reconstructed under Dionysus II and saw a new period of peace up until breakout of a conflict with the Lucani, who destroyed it during 277 BC.

After the war with Pirro, it entered as part of the orbit of Rome, by the name of Stilida.
In the successive conflict between the Roman and Carthaginians, it supported Hannibal, but had to succumb to the troops of Consul Quinto Fabio Massimo (205 BC) and from that moment on hit a period of decadence.
The Greek geographer Strabone at the end of the 1 century BC, states that at that time, Kaulonia was in a state of abandonment. In reality, it survived only as a staging post along the Via Aquilia which joined Reggio to Taranto.

A visit to the Archaeological site

It was Paolo Orsi who identified the site with Kaulonia during the 19th century. There are still ongoing dig campaigns being carried out which have uncovered development of the City, under sea level.

Kaulonia was encircled by walls between 2-5 metres in height and reinforced by the presence of defence towers. Nothing remains apart from the foundations of the buildings, due to the fact that the material was used in the construction of Stilo.

The finds from the digs can be found exhibited in the National Museum of Reggio Calabria.

Place of interest

- Sito Archeologico di Kaulon
- Visita di Monasterace
- Visita di Stilo
- Visita di Guardavalle

Museums

- Sito Archeologico di Kaulonia

Events

- Festival della Danza e della Musica Tradizionale Calabrese in agosto

KAULONIA
Archaeological site

Calabria region of Italy
 

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