Capaccio Paestum is a small town with a long history dating back to the time of Greek colonization. There is an archaeological park with the ruins of the ancient city of Paestum.
Paestum was founded by Greek colonists in the 7th century BC under the name of Poseidonia. It quickly became a large trade center, and after the town was passed by the people of Lucan, also an art center, where original wall paintings were created.
In the 3rd century BC, Paestum was occupied by the Romans and ruled here until the fall of the Western Empire. The city, destroyed during the migration of peoples, fell into ruin and was completely forgotten. They were discovered by accident during the construction of a road in the 18th century. Ancient ruins situated in picturesque mountainous terrain quickly became an inspiration for artists and writers. He used to come here, among others Goethe and the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
The city today is commonly known as Capaccio. The second part of Paestum was added to it primarily to emphasize the importance of the ancient heritage of the place. The most important attraction of Capaccio Paestum is the Paestum Archaeological Park, entered on the UNESCO list. Within it, you can see, among others temples of Athena and Hera from the 6th and 5th centuries BC, the remains of residential and public buildings and an unusual tomb decorated with paintings.
