About 50 km. south of Salerno it is situated on the fertile plain of the river Sele. The three Greek temples and the preciousness of the artefacts conserved in the local museum are unique examples of ancient Greek art. The temple of Poseidon, the temple of Cerere, and the so called Basilica are considered along with those of Agrigento, the best conserved in the Mediterranean and demonstrated the high level of civilization the city achieved and how Paestum was probably one of the major religious and cultural centres of Magna Graecia. The temple of Poseidon was constructed in 450 B.C. , at the same time as the Parthenon in Greece, and it is inspired by the superb Temple of Giove at Olympia and contains in itself the philosophical thought of ancient Greece.

The plain on which the city was founded overlooks the sea and is bordered by three rivers ( Sele, Solofrone, Salso ) and is protected by the Cilentani Mountains.

The fortunate and strategic geographic position, the fertility of the ground, the abundance of water and the facility of maritime landings were essential elements to develop commercial activities in the city.

In the Museum of Paestum, precious artefacts are conserved that testify to the fact that the area was already inhabited around the III millennium B.C..

It was founded in the fifty’s after the finding of an interesting sacred area , Heraclion, dating back to the VI-VII century B.C., that tradition says was founded by the Argonauts.

The museum is of considerable importance for our knowledge of the painting, sculpture and pottery of the Italic, Greek and Roman civilizations. It houses and displays the archaeological material found during the excavations of Paestum as well as the finds from the wonderful Sanctuary of the Argive Hera which is situated a few kilometres away and is one of the most beautiful and important complexes of its kind to come down to us from antiquity.

Many paintings and grave goods, found in the various cemeteries in the area, are also displayed.

Some of the museum’s prize exhibits are a series of frescoes which once covered the internal walls of tombs discovered in the area in Italic style, strongly influenced by the Greek art.

The Museum of Paestum is at the present the only Museum in the world that can boast an example of Greek painting visible in the fresco of the so called Tomb of the Diver datable around 475 B.C., whose name derives from a scene represented in the paintings.

The high quality of the images, have given character to calm the figure represented and leave no doubt to the Greek origin of the paintings that decorate the tomb. The dive of the young deceased allegorically represents an image of leaving this worldly life for a new one, while on the other 4 plates the funeral feast in honour of the deceased is richly painted with special ability and colours.

The museum also houses a marvellous series of metopes from the various temples of Paestum and of the sanctuary of the Argive Hera. These are sculptured friezes which portray scenes from Greek myth and are astonishing for the power, eloquence and immediacy of their compositions.