Paestum, Italy

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Country: Italy

Temple of Athena, Paestum, Italy
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General Information

Description

The ancient city of Paestum is located about 52 miles (84 km) south of Naples, Italy. Legend has it that the city was founded by Jason and the Argonauts, but archaeologists attribute Paestum existence to Greek colonists who came to the shores of the Gulf of Salerno in 7th century BC. Paestum and its outskirts was known as Poseidonia, a ritual center of Poseidon (the Roman Neptune), the God of the sea.

There are three temples built in the southern part of the Sele plain just before the foothills of Cilento (an Italian geographical region of Campania in the central and southern part of the Province of Salerno). The two earliest temples, the 550 BC "Basilica" (as the temple was mistakenly called by scientists who rediscovered it in 700s and known today also as the Temple of Hera) and the 450 BC Temple of Neptune (also known as the Temple of Apollo and Temple of Hera II), were dedicated to the fertility goddess Hera. The Temple of Athena, goddess of wisdom and art, was built around the 6th century BC and is commonly referred to as the Temple of Ceres.

The Lucans occupied Poseidonia in 400 BC and ruled until 273 BC when the city became a Roman colony. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the spread of malaria and the Saracen raids in the 9th century, Paestum fell into decline and was deserted. Many centuries passed before In 1752 its ruins were found by an Italian road-building crew. The excavations and restoration efforts still continue today.

Please visit our photo galleries with many photos illustrating Paestum's central excavation site and Paestum Archeological museum.

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What Makes It Special

For about 2600 years the landscape of the Gulf of Salerno and the Piana del Sele is accompanied by the solemn temples of Paestum, the witnesses of former power and prosperity of the Magna Graecia (Latin meaning "Great Greece"). Paestum is one of the oldest and best preserved Greek temple complexes in the Mediterranean area. The Doric order temples of Paestum influenced the whole neoclassical architecture, both European and American.

Many Lucanian graves were found close to the ancient city in a small necropolis about one mile (1.5 km) south of Paestum; the study of graves and artifacts found in them provided important insights on everyday life of people living during that period. The Tomb of the Diver found in the necropolis is an important archaeological monument, and amazing example of the art in ancient Greece.

Many artifacts excavated and found in the area are shown in the national museum located at the excavation grounds. The archeological site of Paestum has been inscribed on the UNSECO World Heritage Site List in 1998 as a part of the outstanding cultural heritage in "Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeological sites of Paestum and Velia, and the Certosa di Padula"

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Directions To Destination

Paestum is easy to reach:
- By train: Several trains a day depart from Salerno making 30-minute trip. Train stops about a half-mile from the archaeological area in Paestum.
- By bus: Buses leave from Piazza della Concordia in Salerno, near the railway station.
- By car: It is half an hour drive from Salerno. Coming from north: take Salerno - Reggio Calabria (A3) and exit at Battipaglia. From here take route 18 in the direction of the Acropolis. Continue along this road for 14 miles (22.5 km) before turning right and reach the ruins of Paestum. As an alternative for those coming from the south. Also on the A3, you can go to Athena Lucana and take Highway 166 towards Roccadaspide.

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Best Time To Go

Fall or spring. In summer expect high temperatures.

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Where To Stay

Many tourist take a day or half a day trip to Paestum. However, if you want to stay in the proximity of temples, we recommend the following accommodations:
- The Hotel Cerere located at Paestum, one kilometer from the archaeological area and the National Museum. Rates from $135 per night.
- The Best Western Hotel Esplanade. The hotel situated 150 meters from a private beach and 1 kilometer from archaeological areas. Rates are starting from $78 per night. Research and book hotels in or near Paestum, Italy

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Activities

You can visit the Paestum's archeological park on a day-trip with half of the day dedicated to the excavation site and after having lunch spending the rest of the day visiting the near-by Archeological Museum. But you can easily extend you visit for more thorough exploration of the archeological site and surroundings; perhaps, two or three days will be enough. Also, do not forget that beaches are very close to the archeological site - only a 30 minute walk. The coast line is not as impressive as in the Amalfi area; still sand beaches and relaxing environment with less crowds than on very popular Amalfi coast, will make your staying very pleasant.

Adventure seekers can enjoy paragliding from the mountains around Capaccio. The best way to experience this type of activity is to get in contact with local B&Bs or hotels which can help organize this type of activity. Less adrenalin pumping activities such as horseback riding is also available in the area.

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Useful Visitor Information and Tips

The site is open all year round. Entrance to the excavation area is €6, entrance to the museum is €4 (2011, full price, separate tickets). You can also buy a "cumulativo" (valid for both places for three days) for €11. Museum open daily (closed the on 1st and 3rd Monday of each month) 9:00 AM – 6:45 PM. Excavation area is opened daily from 8:45 AM; its last admission depends on the time of the year. During summer months it varies from 5:45 PM to 6:30 PM; during winter it can be as early as 3:00 PM.

To visit both the temples and museum can take the whole day. The best thing to do is to stay overnight in order to enjoy the temples in the morning and museum during the afternoon heat.

Other than the central archeological site and its museum, there is not much to in Paestum itself (perhaps the only exception is the 5th-century Early Christian basilica a.k.a. Basilica Paleocristiana or Chiesa dell'Annunziata). However, you can visit Capaccio, the settlement founded by last inhabitants of Paestum in 9th century (about 7 miles or 11 km east from Paestum). There are several things to see such as The Sanctuary of 'Madonna Del Granato', the Franciscan convent, the Getsemani Sanctuary.

Die-hard archeological aficionados can visit the Sanctuary of Hera located at the mouth of river Sele (discovered in 1934, currently about one mile from the sea coast). The Sanctuary was a popular cult site for the ancient people and is connected to the Heroic Legend of Giasone and his Argonauts who were in search of Vello d'Oro (Golden Fleece).

Also, it may be a good idea to visit the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park which is the second largest park in Italy and which extends from the Tirrenic Coast to the Appennines in Campania. One example of places you can visit is Santa Maria di Castellabate, frazione of Castellabate. Both are located in the Cilento National Park. Castellabate is a charming medieval town perched on the top of the mountain above the sea; not less charming Santa Maria lies alongside the Tyrrhenian Sea and is about 2 miles (3 km) away from Castellabate and 14 miles (23 km) from Paestum.

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Additional Information

Tags: archeological site; Argonauts; basilica; Campania (4); Capaccio; Castellabate (2); Cilento (2); Doric order; excavation site; Getsemani Sanctuary; Giasone; Golden Fleece; Great Greece; Gulf of Salerno (2); Italy (9); Lucani (2); Madonna Del Granato; Magna Graecia; Naples (4); Paestum (2); paragliding (2); Piana del Sele; Poseidonia; Roman colony; Salerno (3); Santa Maria di Castellabate (2); Saracenes; Sele; Temple of Athena; Temple of Ceres; Temple of Hera; Temple of Hera II; Temple of Neptune; Tomb of the Diver; Tyrrhenian Sea (4); UNESCO (9); UNESCO World Heritage Site List; Vallo di Diano

Web Sites: AASTP: Azienda Soggiorno e Turismo di Paestum
Il Sito ufficiale del Turismo e dei Beni Culturali della Regione Campania
Paestum - Greek Temples

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