Lying near the mouth of the river Sele, a protected natural area, these ruins are the remains of what must have been a glorious religious complex. The Heraion (sanctuary to the goddess Hera) was one of the most famous temples of antiquity, described by many ancient writings on Magna Grecia (the conglomerate of Greek colonies in the Mediterranean). Sought by archaeologists since the 18th century, it was discovered by two young archaeologists -- Paola Zancani Montuoro and Umberto Zanotti Bianco -- in the 20th century. Ruins include the foundation of the main temple, together with parts of the smaller thesaurus (treasury), and a portico with outlying buildings. All the decorations -- metopes and votive statuettes -- are conserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum. A short distance away from the ruins, in a restored farmhouse, is the Museo Narrante del Santuario di Hera Argiva ★. It houses an excellent multimedia installation describing the discovery of the ruins and the function of the sanctuary. The cult of Hera (Juno, in Latin), which was very powerful in antiquity, did not disappear with the advent of Christianity but was actually absorbed into Christians' 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 holds a pomegranate, the symbol for Hera/Juno.