A beautiful town located in the Campania region (Italy), on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a real open-air museum. A small ancient settlement centuries ago was a Greek colony named Poseidonius.
The main decorations of the ancient antique settlement
The main attractions of Paestum, located just an hour from Naples, are recognized its ancient temples, which reached the descendants in excellent condition. The most valuable legacy of the charming town, shrouded in a special atmosphere, is the archaeological park, which includes historical monuments in the Dorian style. The majestic ruins of Poseidonia, founded in the VI century BC by a small tribe of Dorians, were discovered only in the XVIII century.
The first temple of the ancient settlement
The two temples of Hera in Paestum, hiding in the emerald foliage of centuries-old oaks, are separated by a century. The first religious complex, considered the oldest, appeared in 550 BC. Dedicated to Hera, the supreme goddess and patroness of marriage, he has an architectural feature that sets him apart from other religious buildings. Archaeologists have discovered an odd number of frontal columns (a huge rarity for Greek sanctuaries), which gave rise to doubt the religious affiliation of the building.
And only found votive figurines of Hera, donated to the deity, allowed to draw certain conclusions. In addition, the interior of the temple of Hera in Paestum is divided by two naves. All 50 external columns of the historical monument, which are much thicker than was accepted, are fully preserved. The altar, where believers performed various rites, was in the open, not far from the entrance.
The ancient temple of Hera in Paestum, the description of which can be found in the article, is a peripter - the main type of an ancient Greek temple of a rectangular shape, surrounded by a colonnade. It was built of golden shell rock, covered with a thin layer of snow-white plaster.
Second Temple of Poseidonia
The Temple of Hera and Poseidon in Paestum is the second religious ensemble, located not far from the first. The construction, which appeared a hundred years later, looks more elegant and light. The front sides consist of six tall columns, and on their sides there are fourteen. It is curious that during the construction, the ancient masters even took into account the curvature of the horizon. This eliminated the visual effect, in which the inside of the building seemed as if the columns were diverging to the sides and the structure was about to collapse.
The interior of the temple of Hera in Paestum is divided into three naves, and the powerful pillars look slim due to the large number of flutes - grooved paths that stretch along the columns. You can see the preserved stairwells, as well as sections of walls with frescoes applied to them.
New name
Initially, archaeologists were sure that the well-preserved building is dedicated to the sea god Poseidon. However, finds in the form of coins with embossed profiles of the goddess and votive figurines made it possible to doubt the veracity of this conclusion. Now the religious building in all tourist guides is called "the temple of Hera 2 in Paestum."
The third religious complex
The third religious building is dedicated to the goddess Athena. Appearing in the second half of the 6th century BC, it is interesting because scientists found several tombs in the floor. Over time, the pagan temple, on the walls of which embossed images of the daughter of the formidable Zeus are embossed, turned into a Christian church, built according to all the canons of the new faith.
Curious tourist attraction
The museum and the archaeological zone, which can be visited for 6.5 euros, are open daily from 8:45 to 19:45 (except Christmas, New Year and May 1).
Tourists are happy to stroll among the ruins of the temples of Hera in Paestum, but it is much more interesting to hire a guide and learn a lot from the history of the ancient city. Visitors are attracted by the remains of the buildings of Poseidonia - the ruins of the amphitheater, forum, city walls.
It is not for nothing that the Italian pearl is considered a living chapter in the history of architecture of Ancient Greece. Amazing structures erected in different eras are next to each other, which makes an indelible impression on visitors. Many cannot even believe that this is Italy, since the ruins of typical Greek temples create the complete impression of being in ancient Athens.