The beauty of the city is also made so by the well-known castle, built in the ninth century on the ruins of the ancient Magna Greek acropolis of Kroton to defend the city from Saracen raids and renovated during the reign of Charles V. Crotone’s fortress represents a unique example among medieval and Renaissance ones, as it clearly shows the transformations that occurred in military architecture with the transition from plumbed defense (circular towers looking inland) to grazing defense (bastions facing the sea). A mighty bastioned fortress with a polygonal plan, it constitutes one of the most important and massive military constructions in southern Italy.

St. James Bastion and St. Catherine Bastion

The S. giacomo Bastion was built by architect Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya in 1541. It is the most important military structure in the castle, with tunnels and a secret exit, called “The Seven Gates.” Included in this reconstruction work is the persistent “muzza tower” of which part of the base and structure is still visible. St. Catherine’s Bastion is built in 1573 on the proposal of military engineer Attendolo. Inside are dungeons used by troops as a shelter, then later used as a prison. Next to the rampart in the northern curtain is a tower from the Angevin period (13th century) called ” Casicavallo Tower.”

Commander Tower and Helper Tower

Built towards the end of the 15th century, they constitute an accomplished and valuable example of transitional military architecture.
The design of the buildings is most likely the work of Francesco di Giorgio Martini, who was present at the court in Naples at that time.

The towers are ornamented with lithic creasing at the point of maximum tapering; corbels masking machicolations, typical of plumbed defenses; and battlements.

The double defensive system peculiar to transitional military architecture includes the arquebusiers and thrones typical of grazing defense.

In the 16th-century plan for the reconstruction of the fortifications, it was planned to transform and incorporate the two circular towers into two bastions, which were never built.

The towers underwent numerous reinforcements, especially in the upper part, which changed their appearance, making them stockier and incorporating battlements. They have an internal ventilation and communication system that ensured their defensive and offensive autonomy.

The Commander’s Tower was always the most exposed to enemy artillery fire, which targeted it from the overlooking badlands hills. Structured on four levels, it is served by a splendid 89-step sandstone spiral staircase that quickly connects the upper part with the first level.

The twin tower known as the Helper, differs from it in that it has an upper structure with no rooms and an internal staircase formed by ramps. They are museums of themselves as a typical example of transitional military architecture.