Cutro

Cutro (Calabrian: Cùtru; Greek: Kytèrion) is a town and comune in the province of Crotone, Calabria region, Italy. It holds the name "City of chess".

Cutro Kytèrion (Greek)
Comune
Comune di Cutro
The Chiesa Madre of Cutro
Coat of arms
Location of Cutro
Cutro Location of Cutro in Italy Show map of Italy Cutro Cutro (Calabria) Show map of Calabria
Coordinates: 39°01′58″N 16°58′57″E
Country	Italy
Region	Calabria
Province	Crotone (KR)
Frazioni	San Leonardo, Steccato
Government
• Mayor	Salvatore Di Vuono
Area [1]
• Total	131 km2 (51 sq mi)
Elevation	226 m (741 ft)
Population  (December 31, 2004)[2]
• Total	10,474
• Density	80/km2 (210/sq mi)
Demonym	Cutresi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	88842
Dialing code	0962
Patron saint	SS. Crucifix
Saint day	May 3
Website	Official website

It is also the birthplace of Vincenzo Iaquinta, a World Cup-winning footballer who played for Serie A club Juventus.

History

Cutro was a Greek colony of Magna Graecia, with the name of Kyterion.

It obtained the title of city in 1575 by the Spanish King Philip II, after the local chess champion Giò Leonardo Di Bona had won a contest at the Spanish court, become first international winner of chess.

Cutro was destroyed by an earthquake on March 8, 1832. It remained the most populous centre of the region until the mid-20th century, when a strong emigration flow towards Germany and northern Italy (especially in Reggio Emilia) reduced the number of inhabitants considerably.

Population

The population in Cutro (as of 2017) is 10,575.^[3]

Notable people

• Giovanni Leonardo Di Bona (1st international chess tournament champion)
• Vincenzo Iaquinta (footballer)
• Rino Gaetano (Songwriter, born in Crotone, from a Cutro family)