Crotone (Italy)

Crotone is an Ionian Sea port and town in Italy's Calabria region (eastern coast, southern Italy) with population around 65,000. The town (as Kroton) was founded by the Greeks around 710 BC as one of Ancient Greece's largest colonial settlements.

Town's location (between Messina Sicily and Taranto) favored its industrial development in the 1930s. However, after the main employers, Montedison (now Edison SpA) and Pertusola Sud SpA (fka Pertusola Mining Ltd) collapsed by the late-1980s, the city was in economic crisis.

Best-known landmarks include Crotone Cathedral 11th-century), Castle of Charles V (16th-century, now housing the Town Museum with artifacts excavated in Kroton), National Archaeological Museum (having the Treasure of Hera found in Cape Colonna), municipal museum and art gallery, provincial (contemporary art) museum, Torre di Nao (fortification tower in Capo Colonna).Crotone is also the gateway to the hilltop town Santa Severina (Norman castle) and Capo Colonna (Greek ruins).

As cruise port, Crotone is used mainly on yacht charter cruising vacations. In 2019, the port was included in the schedules of the luxury companies Viking Ocean (ships Viking Star, Viking Star), Seabourn (ship Encore), Oceania (ship Sirena), Phoenix Reisen (ship Amadea)