Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Crotone

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Crotone preserves archaeological finds from the territory of ancient Kroton. Its collection includes Iron Age grave goods, Greek pottery and votive offerings from the sanctuary of Hera Lacinia at Capo Colonna, including a gold Orphic tablet and a bronze vessel shaped as a siren.

Why it matters

Opened to the public in 1968, the state museum grew from an earlier civic collection. Its finds illuminate the ancient Greek colony of Kroton and the later history of the surrounding area. The holdings include material from sanctuaries and cemeteries as well as Roman-period objects, with important offerings from Hera Lacinia among the best-known groups.

What to notice

The collection includes pottery classified by origin, including Corinthian, Chalcidian, Attic and Italiote vessels. Finds from the sanctuary of Hera Lacinia include votive objects such as a winged sphinx, a gorgon and a boat-shaped model. The gold Orphic lamella is inscribed with guidance for the deceased in the underworld; it was found in a tomb in the Greek cemetery. Another distinctive object is a bronze askos in the form of a siren, returned to Italy after being held by the Getty Museum.

Context and history

The museum occupies a building in Crotone’s historic centre on Via Risorgimento. It was established as a state museum in 1968, bringing together archaeological material from sites across the area. Its collection preserves evidence of the ancient settlement and its sanctuaries, including finds from Capo Colonna. The return of the siren-shaped askos is one example of the recovery of archaeological material removed from the area.