Capo Colonna: "Inside the Excavations" open day at the Sanctuary of

"Inside the Excavations" open day at the Sanctuary of Hera Lacinia

The Capo Colonna National Archaeological Park opens its research site to the public with the event "Inside the Excavations". The open day takes place on 15 November 2025 from 15:30 to 17:00, with free entry until seats are filled.

• Date: 15 November 2025
• Time: 15:30 - 17:00
• Location: Sanctuary of Hera Lacinia, Capo Colonna (National Archaeological Park)
• Admission: free until capacity is reached
• Speakers: Filippo Demma (Director of the Archaeological Parks of Crotone and Sibari) and Carlo Rescigno (Scuola Superiore Meridionale di Napoli)

The meeting allows visitors to learn about the results of the 2024–2025 excavation campaigns and the projects that will guide upcoming research and site enhancement. Speakers will present new evidence from the investigated areas and explain the research approach used on site.

Excavations focused on two adjacent sectors of the sanctuary. In the southern sector, archaeologists uncovered a small sacred enclosure with an altar dated to the 3rd century BC, along with votive offerings and materials linked to ceremonial practices. Work in the so-called "building B" revealed deposits related to monumental construction phases and traces of foundation rituals.

Recovered finds include a patera, a bronze feline representation, miniature vases, a gilded silver fragment and terracotta female figurines. A digital survey of the complex has also updated the architectural and stratigraphic documentation.

The research is funded by the Archaeological Research Fund of the Directorate General for Museums, Ministry of Culture, aiming to restore knowledge and visibility to one of Calabria's most important ancient complexes. The open day is conceived as public archaeology, engaging citizens, students and visitors in the active story of excavation and conservation.

Participants are advised to arrive early because seats are limited. The initiative provides a practical opportunity to appreciate the historical and cultural significance of the Sanctuary of Hera Lacinia and its central role for ancient Kroton and the wider Magna Graecia world.