Photometric and spectroscopic study of the intermediate-age open cluster
  NGC 2355
  In this paper we analyse the evolutionary status and properties of the old
open cluster NGC 2355, located in the Galactic anticentre direction, as a part
of the long term programme BOCCE. NGC 2355 was observed with LBC@LBT using the
Bessel $B$, $V$, and $I_c$ filters. The cluster parameters have been obtained
using the synthetic colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) method, as done in other
papers of this series. Additional spectroscopic observations with FIES@NOT of
three giant stars were used to determine the chemical properties of the
cluster. Our analysis shows that NGC 2355 has metallicity slightly less than
solar, with [Fe/H]$=-0.06$ dex, age between 0.8 and 1 Gyr, reddening $E(B-V)$
in the range 0.14 and 0.19 mag, and distance modulus $(m-M)_0$ of about 11 mag.
We also investigated the abundances of O, Na, Al, $\alpha$, iron-peak, and
neutron capture elements, showing that NGC 2355 falls within the abundance
distribution of similar clusters (same age and metallicity). The Galactocentric
distance of NGC~2355 places it at the border between two regimes of metallicity
distribution; this makes it an important cluster for the study of the chemical
properties and evolution of the disc.
