📷 Massimo Greco · Pexels

Where in the world

Italy

Paestum

Greek · Italy

Field notes

civilizations: GreekRoman
types: City
built: 600 BCE — 450 BCE
occupied: 600 BCE — 600 CE
country: Italy

The site

Paestum was a major ancient Greek city on the Tyrrhenian coast of southern Italy, founded around 600 BCE by settlers from Sybaris under the name Poseidonia. It is famous for three Doric temples of about 550 to 450 BCE that survive in extraordinary condition, alongside largely intact city walls and an amphitheatre. Seized by the Lucanians and later taken by Rome in 273 BCE, this World Heritage site preserves paved roads and standing walls to this day.

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