Santa Maria di Castellabate Hotel Cilento Apartments Castellabate
Paestum
Paestum is a UNESCO archaeological site, 20 km from Casale il Saùco. Named Poseidonia by the Greeks around the 7th century BC, the city was later occupied by Lucanians until 273 BC when Romans conquered it, making it a thriving colony and renaming it Paestum.
The Temples
The importance of Paestum is linked to the excellent state of conservation of its cultural and artistic heritage. The three majestic temples represent a beautiful example of Doric architecture. Their charm has been of inspiration to important writers, poets and artists such as Goethe, Shelley, Canova and Piranesi. The Temple of Hera was the first to be erected and dates back to the 6th century BC. The Temple of Neptune is a huge golden coloured travertine marble construction, that changes colour depending on the sun’s position. The Temple of Ceres, actually dedicated to the goddess Athena, was transformed into a church in the Middle Age and today guards 3 Christian tombs.
The Museum
Paestum’s National archaeological Museum is one of the most important Italian historic sites. Through various sections, visitors are able to retrace the history of Paestum through the Greek, Lucanian and Roman periods. The museum features frescoes, sanctuary artefacts, painted vases, sculpted panels and Tomb paintings dating back to different historical periods. Amongst the beautiful artefacts the famous ‘Tomb Of The Diver’, a funerary fresco representing a young man's symbolic 'dive' into the afterlife.