Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its vast natural and archaeological heritage. A gem of southern Italy, located in Campania, within the Cilento National Park, Paestum is a place to explore, discover, and experience both day and night — perfect for a holiday of relaxation, but also fun. It serves as a strategic point for visiting several of Italy’s most coveted destinations, such as Capri, Sorrento, Ravello, Amalfi, Positano, and Naples.
History
The city was founded around the beginning of the 7th century BC by Greek colonists from Sybaris, under the name Poseidonia. Its wealth is evidenced by the construction, between the 6th and 5th centuries BC, of grand temples, the ruins of which have been remarkably well preserved to this day.
Following the Sybarite invasion, some “exiled citizens of Paestum” took refuge inland, giving rise to the settlement of Controne. In the 5th century BC, the Lucanians, an Italic people of Sabellian origin, conquered the city and renamed it Paistom.
In 273 BC, it became a Roman colony with Latin rights under the name Paestum, after having sided with the losing figure, Pyrrhus, in the war against Rome at the start of the 3rd century BC. The city remained under Roman rule but began to decline between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, likely due to changes in water drainage that caused marshlands and the simultaneous arrival of malaria in Europe.
After destruction by the Saracens in the 9th century and the Normans in the 11th, the site was abandoned during the Middle Ages, as the inhabitants moved inland and founded Capaccio. Along with the nearby hamlet Laura, the area was involved in the Allied landings of Operation Avalanche on September 9, 1943.
Today, Paestum showcases significant architectural monuments from both the Greek and Roman periods.
Necropolis
About 1 kilometer from Paestum lies the Gaudo Necropolis, spanning roughly 2,000 m² and consisting of around thirty tombs. It is attributed to the cultural group known as the Gaudo culture.
The necropolis was discovered by chance by the US Army during Operation Avalanche, while constructing an airstrip. Thanks to the cultural sensitivity of the US military command, the site was preserved and reported to the appropriate authorities.
The Museum
The museum houses an important collection of ancient Greek artifacts from southern Italy. Many of the items come from archaeological discoveries in the area around Paestum, primarily funerary goods from Greek and Lucanian necropolises — including numerous vases, weapons, and paintings.
The most notable are the paintings from the famous Tomb of the Diver (480–470 BC), the only known examples of Classical Greek painting from Magna Graecia, interpreting the transition from life to the realm of the dead as a diver’s leap into water.
Also of great importance is the cycle of frescoed tombs from the Lucanian period of the city.
The museum also features a display of metope cycles originating from the Heraion of the Sele.
