Petalidi, on the northwestern side of the Messenian Gulf, is identified by ancient writers with ancient Korone, a city founded by Epimelides of Boeotia around 369 BC, along with the foundation of ancient Messene by Epaminondas. It was the port of ancient Messene in the Messenian Gulf. On Kastro Hill, ruins of the acropolis are preserved, which was surrounded by strong fortification walls contemporary with those of ancient Messene. On the outskirts of the acropolis, public and private buildings dating from the late Classical to the early Byzantine period have been excavated, some with mosaic floors. Among them stands out a group of monumental Roman tombs, as well as several tombs of the late Roman period.

During Roman times, the city flourished and developed in the area where the modern settlement of Petalidi is located. According to Pausanias, there were temples of Artemis, Dionysus, and Asklepius in the city, and a bronze statue of Athena was erected on the Acropolis. The city’s fertile lands and coastal location attracted Roman businessmen, who bought large tracts of land and engaged in commercial transactions, turning it into a commercial and transit center. Rescue excavations in Petalidi brought to light residential remains with luxurious villas, bath buildings, burials with rich offerings, architectural members, sculptures, coins, and ceramics, mainly of Roman times, which testify to the existence of a wealthy and aristocratic society. Representative findings from ancient Koroni are exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Messenia in Kalamata.