The territory

The history of the town of Cirò (ancient greek Ypsicron) is certainly very charming. Archaeological finds witness the settlement on the site of indigenous pupulations since the Iron Age. Cirò was the place where a harmonious encounter between two civilizations took place. The brillance and richness of Greeks merged with the elegant and fierce spitit of the Roman civilization. The first Greek settlers who landed on the Calabrian coast were so impressed by the fertility of this land for grape farming that soon it was named “Enotria” (Land of Wine). It was very important the value that ancient Greeks attributed to the Calabrian vineyards. In fact, in the Tables of Heradea is mentioned that the value of a piece of land cultivated with grapes in Calabria was worth six times a land cultivated with grains.The ancient Greeks farmers introduced new wine-making techniques and grapes; the native grapes which are found in Calabria such as the Gaglioppo, Greek White and Mantonico are of Greek orgiin. Some Calabrian cities assumed a leading role in the grape farming: Sibari and Crotone became famous far the production of ‘‘Krimisa” wine, the ancestor of Cirò. Krimisa is also the name of a majestic Greek temple devoted to Bacco (God of Wine) which was built in Cirò Marina area.