Temple of Apollo Alaios
© Regione Calabria
Archaeological Area
© Regione Calabria
Archaeological Area
North of Cirò Marina, at Punta Alice, the ancient Krìmisa promontorium, the remains of the Temple of Apollo Alaios rise, founded by the hero Philoctetes who, after the Trojan War, was forced to leave his rioting homeland and set sails. Ancient sources report that the Thessalian hero reached land near Crotone and founded the Temple of Apollo Alaios to celebrate the end of his long roaming (alae); in this place, he probably consecrated the arrows he received from Heracles.
Remains of the Sanctuary of Punta Alice were first discovered in the 1920s, during land reclamation works. The following parts of the building are still visible: the basement, a portion of the cell perimeter walls and, close by, some square rooms of the Hellenistic Age, probably some service structures.
In the nearby Archaeological Museum of Cirò Marina visitors can enjoy evidences from the Sanctuary, like architectural features, ex-votos - datable from 7th to 4th centuries B.C. -, little vases and pottery painted in black, marble fragments, a little bronze statue of Heracles.
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