Places to see in ( Paestum - Italy )
Places to see in ( Paestum - Italy )
Paestum is a truly enchanting and atmospheric place, and a 'must' on any classical tour of Italy. Just south of the Sorrento peninsula and Amalfi Coast, and a mile inland, this is a haunting archaeological site where three Greek temples stand in the middle of the countryside. Paestum is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The town of Poseidonia - later called Paestum - was built by Greek colonists from Sybaris, an earlier Greek city in southern Italy, in around 600BC. It grew and prospered and now has among the most extensive remains of Magna Graecia (Magna Grecia in Italian). In 410BC the town was conquered by the Lucanians, a native Italian people, then in 273BC the Romans took over, changed the name to Paestum and began their own building programme. As the Roman Empire collapsed, Paestum crumbled. Malaria and Saracen raids led to the near-abandonment of the town and the development of Capaccio, a safer hillside settlement.
Paestum itself was pretty much forgotten. An information board outside the old church gives a poignant image of the locale as an abandoned wilderness frequented by brigands. Things changed with the eighteenth-century rediscovery of the temples by road-builders coupled with a revival of interest in antiquities and the visits of Grand Tourists and indefatigable travellers like Shelley and Goethe. The classical name Paestum was revived (though Capaccio is still the local authority). Nowadays most of the vanished city of Poseidonia-Paestum is hidden under agricultural land. The ancient city walls, constructed with massive stone blocks, encircle a large area of countryside, much of it unexcavated. Right in the middle is the archaeological zone open to the public, and a few later buildings housing small tourist businesses.
The archaeological site at Paestum covers a large area and takes as much as two hours to explore thoroughly. A street runs along the railings outside the site and here, in the middle of surprisingly rural surroundings, you'll find a busy little row of souvenir shops and several bars with outside tables serving drinks, rolls, ice creams and snacks. For more filling evening meals, you can walk further along the road to find a pizzeria and - on Via Tavernelle - a couple of restaurants including the Granaio dei Casabella hotel/restaurant where we ate and slept.
You can buy separate tickets for the archaeological site and the museum but if you're visiting both it is cheaper to purchase a combined ticket (€6.50). There are various categories of discount, as at all Italian state-run monuments, including free entry for over-65s from the EU and other countries with reciprocal arrangements. The outdoors attraction is open daily; the museum is closed on the first and third Mondays of each month.
The archaeological area at Paestum covers the heart of the ancient city. The most dramatic sights, which led to the site's rediscovery, are the three Doric temples. Roofless, but still standing, these are among the greatest archaeological monuments in Italy. The smallest of the three, standing on a small rise, was dedicated to Athena, though it's also known as the Temple of Ceres. This temple later became a Christian church. The oldest of the buildings, the Temple of Hera, is at the further end of the site and not far away is the most imposing and well-preserved, the Temple of Neptune (or Poseidon). One of the finest surviving examples of a Greek temple, this is a huge and dramatic building, surrounded by steps and a colonnade of majestic dimensions. The ruin has no roof, but the pediments and ornamentation give a good idea of how the building would have looked.
Paestum is on a railway line connecting Salerno with Sapri to the south. If you are coming from the Amalfi Coast, take a boat or bus to Salerno before catching the train. From Naples and northern parts of Italy, change in Salerno. The journey from Salerno takes just over half an hour. There are signs announcing 'Paestum' along the platforms, but it's not a bad idea to check the order of stations and count the number of stops to make sure you know when you've arrived. There is no ticket office at Paestum station, so you should either buy your return train ticket in advance, or visit a useful shop by the archaeological site which sells rail tickets. Trains are not very frequent, so plan your journey in advance.
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