Paestum temples

The ancient Greek city of Paestum in Campania was founded around 600 BC by settlers from Sybaris as the Greek city of Poseidonia, fell to the Lucanians around 400 BC and came under Roman rule in 273 BC. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. It has three Doric temples from the 6th and 5th centuries BC. The oldest is the Temple of Hera I (the “Basilica”), from about 550 BC, with 9 by 18 columns. The Temple of Athena (around 500 BC) stands on the highest point of the city and combines Doric and Ionic features. The Temple of Hera II, formerly thought to be a temple of Neptune, dates from about 460–450 BC and kept most of its entablature.

The site also includes the heroon, the ekklesiasterion (assembly space), a Roman forum, an amphitheatre and a city wall about 4.75 km long. The National Archaeological Museum displays, among other things, the metopes from the Heraion at the Sele and the Tomb of the Diver. Allow half a day, and check opening times and tickets in advance.