The Immortal place
Certified as one of the main "on site" museums in Italy, the National Archaeological Park of Paestum and Velia represents one of the world cornerstones of archaeology and historical anthropology, a symbol that still continues to stimulate reflections on the forms of life, art, politics and thought.
History of the Park
Located in the municipality of Capaccio-Paestum, the National Archaeological Park of Paestum and Velia rises within the town walls and was built in 1952 using part of a larger project developed in 1938 by architect Marcello De Vita.
The main nucleus was built according to the structure that houses the series of archaic metopes coming from the Sanctuary of Hera at the mouth of the Sele, but soon proved insufficient to contain and exhibit the numerous objects brought to light by the subsequent archaeological excavations of the city and the necropolis.
Thus, soon a new, large and illuminated room was added to the first nucleus, designed by the architect E. De Felice who also prepared a series of new rooms that develop around a garden and large windows that open towards the city and the closed plain to the east from the mountains of Capaccio.
The great discoveries of the numerous Lucanian painted tombs and the Tomb of the Diver in 1968 made it necessary to reorganise the museum itinerary created by Giovanni De Franciscis and Sabrina Viola.
Heritage
Its various sections allow the visitor to retrace the history of the Greek, Lucanian and Roman city. The museum contains numerous finds from the city, from Heraion at the mouth of the Sele and from the nearby necropolises (necropolis of Gaudo, necropolis of Santa Venera).
The exhibition's itinerary unfolds on three floors divided into seven sections that respectively deal with the prehistoric period, the origin of the city, the Heraion at the mouth of the Sele, the urban sanctuaries, the necropolis of Poseidonia-Paestum, the Lucanian painted tombs and the Roman room.
Among the materials on display, the archaic metopes at the Heraion del Sele, the tomb of the diver, the steles in the Oscan language and the chamber tomb of Spinazzo stand out for their importance.
