Caulonia (ancient city)
| Καυλωνία | |
Ruins of a Doric temple at the site of ancient Caulonia
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 Shown within Italy
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| Location | Monasterace, Province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy. |
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| Region | Magna Graecia |
| Coordinates | 38°26′44″N 16°34′44″E / 38.44556°N 16.57889°ECoordinates: 38°26′44″N 16°34′44″E / 38.44556°N 16.57889°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Area | 35–45 ha (110 acres) |
| History | |
| Builder | Settlers from Aegium or Croton |
| Founded | Early second half of 7th century BC |
| Abandoned | Approximately 200 BC |
| Periods | Archaic Greece to Roman Republic |
| Site notes | |
| Management | Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria |
| Website | ArcheoCalabriaVirtual (Italian) |
Caulonia or Caulon (Ancient Greek: Καυλωνία Kaulōnía; also spelled Kaulonia or Kaulon) was an ancient city of Magna Graecia on the shore of the Ionian Sea. At some point after the destruction of the city by Rome in 200 BC, the inhabitants moved to a location further inland. There they founded Stilida, which developed into the modern town Stilo.
Since 1863 AD the name Caulonia has also been used by the city formerly known as Castelvetere. The city changed its name to Caulonia in honor of the ancient city, which was mistakenly believed to have been located in its territory. Today the ruins of the ancient city can be found near Monasterace in the Province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy. Some of the artefacts which have been excavated at the site can now be seen in the Monasterace Archeological Museum.
The city was located between the mouth of the Stilaro river to the south and the mouth of the Assi river to the north. In ancient times the mouth of the Assi was located slightly further to the south. Punta Stilo, the "Cape of Columns", is a gentle arc-shaped headland located immediately north of the site. In ancient times the shoreline of Caulonia lay 300 meter further seawards. More than one hundred fluted columns which have been discovered on the seabed in front of Caulonia stood then on a broad arc-shaped headland. This headland probably did not have natural or artificial facilities which could provide protected anchorage for ships. The recession of the coastline started around 400 BC and ended in the 1st century AD. It was the result of a tectonic phase which caused landward rise and submergence of the seafloor. The shoreline stabilized in the period from the 1st century AD to the present. The walls of the city enclosed an area of approximately 35 to 45 hectares (110 acres).
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