Attractions

The Greeks established the colony of Poseidonia -- the name Paestum is ancient Roman -- in the 7th century B.C., around the same time that the nearby temple of Hera Argiva was built. The town flourished for almost 3 centuries but dramatically declined after it was overtaken by the Lucanians, a local mountain people, in the 4th century B.C. Only when the Romans established the colony of Paestum in 273 B.C. did the city revive, quickly growing wealthy from its agricultural and commercial activity. The city lost its supremacy during the Middle Ages, when its inhabitants were forced into the hills by the repeated Saracen attacks and the spread of malaria (caused by the fertile plain's transformation into marshland). The Normans arrived in the 11th century, plundering the temples and other buildings for their statuary. The ruins remained known but undisturbed for centuries until the state road was developed in the 18th century and the first archaeological studies were performed.

The archaeological area and museum (tel. 0828 811023; www.infopaestum.it) are at Via Magna Grecia 917. Magna Grecia cuts through the middle of the archaeological site and leads right to the Roman amphitheater. Up the street from the main gate and the museum is a tourist information office. The archaeological area has two more gates -- one on Via Magna Grecia by the Temple of Neptune, and the third through the ancient southern gate in the town walls, Porta della Giustizia (Justice Gate) -- only if you already have a ticket in hand. Admission to the archaeological area and museum is 4€ ($5.60/£2.80) each, but you can purchase a cumulative ticket for both for 6.50€ ($9.10/£4.55). The archaeological area is open daily 9am to sunset (last admission 60 min. earlier), and the museum is open daily 8:45am to 7:45pm (last admission 45 min. earlier) and closed the first and third Monday of each month; both are closed January 1, May 1, and December 25.

Paestum's temples are ranked among the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, second only to the Theseion in Athens. Based on the rich trove of findings in and around the temples, most experts now believe that two structures were actually part of a huge complex dedicated to Hera, the goddess of fertility and maternity (the same goddess honored in the sanctuary near the mouth of the Sele River). Indeed, several other smaller religious buildings, all dedicated to Hera, have been discovered nearby. The Basilica is the oldest of the three largest structures, built in 550 B.C. in Doric Archaic style. The 50 columns of its monumental portico still stand, showing the pot-bellied profile typical of archaic temples, but the roof and the pediment have long ago fallen down. In front is a partially ruined sacrificial altar and, on its side, the square bothros -- the sacrificial well where the remains were thrown. To the right of the Basilica is the so-called Temple of Neptune, restoration of which was completed in 2004. This grandiose building, dating from around 450 B.C., is lined in travertine stone and glows a magical gold color when hit by the sun's rays. It is considered the best Doric temple in the world, with its perfect proportions and a number of architectural tricks -- the columns at the corners have an elliptical section instead of round, and the horizontal lines are slightly convex instead of perfectly straight -- giving it slender elegance and power at the same time. It is also the best preserved of Paestum's temples, with its roof and pediments mostly intact. At the temple's front are two sacrificial altars; the smaller was added by the Romans in the 3rd century B.C.

The third temple -- the so-called Temple of Ceres although it now seems it was dedicated to Athena -- is on the opposite side of the ancient town. To reach it, pass through the Roman Forum, which may be the oldest known rectangular Roman forum, lined with Doric porticos -- all that is left of the ceremonial and public buildings that surrounded it originally. Walk down the Via Sacra (Sacred Street), with its Roman pavement laid over the Greek road. About 12km (7 1/2 miles) long, it originally connected the Greek town of Poseidonia to the ancient temple of Hera and, in Roman times, led to the Roman amphitheater and the Forum. The Via Sacra climbs the plateau where the temple stands. Built at the end of the 6th century B.C., it was transformed into a church in medieval times; that is why, inside its portico, you will see three Christian tombs.

The National Archeological Museum houses the finds from the excavations. The 6th-century-B.C. Statue of Zeus is well worth seeing as is the rich collection of 6th-century-B.C. vases with red or black figures. You'll also see objects from the nearby necropolis, including the famous Diver's Tomb from the 5th century B.C., decorated with beautiful frescoes; and the very interesting paintings and objects found in the Lucanian Tombs and dating from the 6th to the 3rd centuries B.C. One whole area of the museum is dedicated to the architectural remains from the Heraion, the Sanctuary dedicated to Hera Argiva (later in this chapter), including the complete frieze of metopes and triglyphs; a number of the metopes are unfinished, which helps shed light on the carving techniques.

Usually bypassed by harried tourists, a walk along Paestum's defensive walls is quite peaceful and affords nice views. The powerful walls completely surrounded the town, and are one of the very few complete sets of walls left from antiquity. Originally built by the Greeks, they were restored by the Lucanians and then the Romans. Measuring 5m (18 ft.) thick on average, with several square and round towers, they mark a pentagonal perimeter of 4,750m (15,580 ft.), with four main gates at the four cardinal directions. You can walk the whole perimeter or focus on the western side, which is the best preserved. It includes the Porta Marina; there you can climb the walls and walk on the patrol paths, enjoying the great views over coast and ruins.

Should you have time for more, pay a visit to the interesting ruins of the Heraion, the sanctuary built on the river Sele about 11 kilometers (6 3/4 miles) north of Paestum and dedicated to Hera Argiva. This was one of the most famous temples of Magna Grecia (the conglomerate of Greek colonies in the Mediterranean) and was hunted by archaeologists since the 18th century. Little more than the foundation of the main temple remains, together with parts of the smaller thesaurus (storehouse), and a portico with attached buildings. All the decorations -- metopes and votive statuettes -- are conserved in the National Archeological Museum of Paestum.

More interesting still is the Museo Narrante del Santuario di Hera Argiva, Masseria Procuriali (tel. 0828 811016; www.infopaestum.it; Tues-Sat 9am-4pm), located in a restored farm 9km (5 1/2 miles) from Paestum, a short distance from Heraion. Termed a "narrating museum," it houses an excellent multimedia installation describing the chance discovery of the sanctuary by two young archaeologists -- Paola Zancani Montuoro and Umberto Zanotti Bianco -- in the 20th century. This is where you'll learn that the cult of Hera (Juno in Latin), which was very powerful in antiquity, did not disappear with the advent of Christianity but was absorbed into Christians's devotion to the Virgin Mary. In the nearby 11th-century sanctuary of the Madonna del Granato (road to Capaccio Vecchia; Aug 15 only), the Madonna is depicted holding a pomegranate, the symbol for Hera/Juno.

Though famous for its archaeological area, Paestum is also a great seaside destination. If basking in the sun is your thing, Marina di Paestum [ST] is the place to do it, with miles of sandy beaches; the sea is warm and great for swimming, too.