Archive sources from the end of the 16th century mention the tower of Santa Maria as one of the three earliest towers forming the fortifications of Crotone castle, standing in an advanced position on the seaward side. The remains of the so-called medieval tower, partially visible to a height of 1.50 m, against the castle’s eastern curtain wall – and standing almost at the centre between the two 16th century bastions, were excavated as part of the project to restore the castle.

The excavation exposed the remains of the tower to a height of 4 m. It had a slight scarp and was built directly on the rock. An unexpected discovery was the refined sculpting of the footing: from the rocky sandstone platform, a sculpted torus/moulding, some parts only roughly hewn, others more markedly cut directly into the rock, rose in steep segments from north to south. The segments presented the same characteristics, but decreased in length, encircling the entire base. Above the second course of dressing stones, were three embrasures aligned on the same level, two of which appeared to be of irregular shape. The unfinished nature of this work was confirmed by the roughly hewn sections and tool marks visible on the irregularly projecting surface above the torus.

The excavations revealed substantial dumps of material around the tower, including recent materials, identifying a post-medieval phase with a late date presumably around the 19th century. A limited extension of an outside floor surface of beaten yellowish sandy earth overlying a rubble foundation was uncovered. Sloping slightly from south to north and west to east, in origin it was probably an access ramp leading up from the sea towards the Porta del Soccorso of the Bastione San Giacomo. The material recovered from layers associated with the ramp indicates a late date, around the 19th century. Numerous iron and stone cannonballs dating from this phase were found.

An exceptional hoard of ten coins dating to between 1798 and 1835, was discovered, comprising four copper coins, each with the face value of 10 tornesi, four silver piastre worth 120 grana each, a silver tari of 20 grana and a silver carlino worth 10 grana. They were stuck together and presumably originally kept inside a purse, hidden near some stones and four iron cannon balls.