What to see in Cilento, attractions and places to visit in the national park which occupies an area of over 180 thousand hectares in the province of Salerno.
Tourist information
Cilento National Park, one of the most important natural areas in southern Italy, covers an area of over 180 thousand hectares.
This wide and varied territory extends from the Tyrrhenian coast to the Campania-Lucanian Apennines, ranging from rugged cliffs and long beaches to the hills and peaks of the Alburni, Cervati and Gelbison, including the archaeological sites of Paestum, Velia and the Certosa di Padula, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and many other beautiful places and archaeological areas, as well as natural environments particularly interesting for the fauna and flora that characterize them.
Paestum is located about 10 kilometers from the mouth of the Sele river, in the easternmost part of the Gulf of Salerno.
In the archaeological area of this ancient city, three magnificent temples stand out dedicated to Athena, Hera and Neptune, also called Poseidònion, which bring us back to ancient Greece, as the city was a thriving Greek colony founded around 600 BC. with the name of Poseidònia, which means city consecrated to Poseidóne, considered the god of the sea.
The imposing and well-preserved temple of Neptune, which recent studies believe is dedicated to Apollo, is considered the highest expression of western Doric architecture.
The local museum houses an important collection of finds from the Paestum area, mainly funeral items found in the Greek and Lucanian necropolises.
What see
Among the most famous finds include the painted slabs from the Tuffatore's Tomb, a precious testimony of Greek painting.
Velia is the Latin name of the ancient Greek colony of Elea, founded in the second half of the sixth century BC. from the mouths originating in Asia Minor.
The archaeological area is located in the municipality of Ascea.
In ancient times it was a very dynamic economic and cultural center, also it was the birthplace of the philosopher Zeno and his teacher, Parmenides, who founded his school there, called precisely Eleatic, of philosophical orientation which greatly influenced even later doctrines.
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Elea was home to an important medical school.
The excavations have brought to light many remains of the ancient city, including the acropolis and the grandiose Porta Rosa, a remarkable example of Greek architecture.
The Certosa di Padula, an architectural complex dedicated to San Lorenzo that surprises for its grandeur and beauty, is part of the Vallo di Diano.
The construction, founded by Tommaso Sanseverino in 1306 on an ancient monastery already dedicated to San Lorenzo, constitutes a precious testimony of monasticism in Italy and Europe.
Today it houses the provincial archaeological museum of western Lucania.
The picturesque medieval village of Castellabate, which stands on Colle Sant'Angelo at the southern end of the Gulf of Salerno, is classified among the most beautiful villages in Italy.
