The Temples of Paestum
Come on in vacation to the Bellezza in Cilento properties and see Paestum,
a true wonder of antiquity
Want to know the location with the largest number of Greek temples in Italy? The city was founded about 600 B.C. and was named Posidonia by the citizens of Sibari, a colony of Magna Graecia on the Ionian side of Calabria, who moved here to colonize new lands. After about 300 years of existence, Posidonia was conquered by the Lucanian people, who were later defeated by the Romans, who ruled and managed the city for about 600 years.
What makes Paestum one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Italy are the three temples, built in 500 B.C., dedicated to Neptune the god of the seas, Hera the goddess of fertility and Athena the goddess of arts and war. The first two are located in the Southern Sanctuary area, while the third is located price the Northern Sanctuary. The temples are Doric in style and have 13 to 18 columns in the long side. They are among the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. In the central part of the site is the Roman Forum, with extensive foundations of various public and private buildings. A small Roman amphitheater is located in the northwest, of which only the southern half is visible.
With the end of the Roman Empire and the barbarian invasions, the silting up of the river and harbor became more pronounced and the area became marshy. The inhabitants abandoned Paestum and traces of it were lost.
During your stay in the facilities of Bellezza in Cilento you will be able to observe how the city of Posidonia was surrounded by a massive defensive wall, still intact today, about 5 kilometers long. Inside the city, in addition to the beauties already mentioned, there were other minor temples and an agora for public gatherings, while in the part outside the walls a necropolis was discovered. A large part of the outer city has not yet been resurfaced by archaeologists.
The Paestum area was rediscovered in the 1700s thanks to Charles of Bourbon’s plan to open the road leading south from the Bourbon State (today’s State Highway 18). With the discovery of the amphitheater and temples, the area became a destination for visits by poets and painters during the fascinating period of the Grand Tour. From the early 1900s excavations resumed to restore the site to its present beauty. The museum in front of the temples, with the fantastic frescoed Tomb of the Diver from 480 B.C.E. and the city’s many artifacts, is worth visiting.
