Paestum

Paestum is one of the fundamental historical sights in Italy. The three ancient temples are extremely valuable because they represent the most significant ancient Greek pantheon, which can be seen in the south of Naples. Paestum is about 85 km southeast of Naples and is situated in the Italian region of Campania. The Province of Salerno is a stranger, but the village itself is part of the municipality of Kapaccio.

The official name of the village is Capaccio Paestum and so far the most preferred way to reach there is by train, bus or car from both Naples and Salerno.

Paestum was founded in the late 6th and early 7th century BC. Its closeness to the sea has earned it the name of Poseidon in honor of that sea god. The original inhabitants of Paestum are a Greek colony, which have the city its name Poseidon.

Today there are quite a bit of archeological evidence to suggest more about these early centuries of settlement. Over time Paestum grew by building new roads, temples and public buildings.

There are three main historical monuments in Paestum.

The first, is the temple which rises towards the ruins of the village and is that of Ceres. It is the youngest of three and is dedicated to Athens. Around this building there are several small but very interesting to view buildings.

The oldest of the three monuments in Paestum is a basilica which was erected in honor of the goddess Hera. Along the facade there are nine Doric columns along the side walls and pillars are a total of 18.

Undoubtedly the most attractive is the temple of Neptune, which was actually built in honor of the god Apollo. It is the largest of the three and having been built around 450 BC this large monument is the best preserved in Paestum as it lacked only some internal walls and roof.

Apart from the three ancient temples in Paestum it also offers the historical museum that has kept and exposed numerous of its treasures and paintings from the tombs.