Salerno, Costiera amalfitana, Paestum

Short trip in the province
         
SALERNO
  
How wonderful  to look upon, like Ulysses, on a clear day the Gulf of Salerno towards  south-east, with as backdrop the high hazy coast and the crystalline mountains.  One abandons the gods of today to discover a new self, lost, Mediterranean…
    David  H. Lawrence, 1920
Salerno is a fascinating synthesis of what the  Mediterranean can offer to those who want to knowit better.
  Its province is the largest of the Campania; it  includes also the Amalfi Coast and  the  archaeological areas of Paestum.
From above, in the bright frame of sea and sky,Salerno  seems as though it is hanging to the sides of the mountain, in a spectacular  position on the gulf. The city became the most flourishing of southern Italy  with its conquest by the Longobards in the 8th century, especially under Duke  Arechi II.
  Seat of the principality, Salerno entered a period of  splendour, also becoming an important scientific centre with its much  celebrated School of Medicine of  Salerno, the oldest such  institution in the west.
  After the Longobards followed the Normans, and then  the Hohenstaufen emperors, all of whom favoured the growth of the city, a  growth that only ended in the 16th century when the Spaniards took over  control.
  It was in Salerno that the Allied forces disembarked  in 1943.

Today the city is in full rebirth, theatre of a  transformation into ‘city-laboratory’, a model of urban revival of  international importance.
  The heart of the city is the medieval quarter, whose main artery is via dei Mercanti (Merchants’ street). The narrow city streets, today  rich with shops, follow the form of the medieval urban plan and conserve  beautiful historical buildings and much of its religious architecture.
The Dome (XI century)
  
Built around  1080 by Robert Guiscard and dedicated to S. Matteo, whose mortal remains are  preserved in the crypt, the Dome stands on a multi-layered area: on a early  Christian Church built on the ruins of a Roman temple. During the centuries, it  has been restored various times and the current appearance reflects the  restoration of the Baroque area while, of the original Romanesque structure  remain the decorations of the church, the bell tower and the atrium. The  latter, surrounded by a portico supported by 28 columns with round arches, it  preserves Roman and medieval mummy-cases and has, at its centre, a granite pool  of the classic period. The basilica with a Latin cross plan and three naves,  contains the ruins of frescoes, Roman finds and 
  XII century amboes decorated with sculptures and mosaics. The crypt that  preserves the reliquaries of the Patron Saint of the city, are under the  transept and the choir. It presents a structure with nine lines of three spans  with cross vaults. In the XVII century, Domenico Fontana made important  architectonic and decorative works by planning the vault of the crypt with  diagonal
  panels, alternated with circular ones, and delimitated with stuccoes and  frescoes. Very interesting is the concept of the double altar of S. Matteo,  whose bifront statue allowed the celebration of two masses.
  
  The nearby Provincial Archaeological Museum is not  to be missed, housed in the complex of Saint Benedict, it is one of the most  interesting topographical museums of Campania.
  The hub of economic life of the city is to be found in  the 1800’s quarter of the city near to the Lungomare Trieste, one  of the longest waterfront in Italy, lined by palm trees, and from which you can  enjoy a lovely view of the gulf.
  The Verdi  Theatre was inaugurated in 1872. Its  halls overflow with Renaissance-inspired décor and follow models of ancient classic  inspiration. It is the cultural centre of the city. The Villa Comunale (City Park) is an oasis of green, a lovely public  garden. Looking up towards the hills you can see the imposing Arechi’s Castle, from which there is an enchanting panorama.
Arechi castle
The castle, situted on the Bonadies Mountain  overlooking the city, is named after the Longobard leader Arechi II, who in the  VIII century built the great denfensive system of which the castle is part of.  The fortress was never conquered, even if Gisulf II, the last Longobard prince  of Salerno, surrender in front of the Normans after a very long state of siege.  After the castle had ups and downs, until the defense systems were changed in  the XVII century, and, in the end, its decline started. After the restoration  the museum of the Arechi castle was opened to the public and new rooms for  exhibitions, conferences and conventions were created.

THE AMALFI COAST
The Day of  Judgement, for those amalfitans that go
    to heaven, will  be a day like any other
    Renato Fulcini,  1878

The incomparable beauty of the Amalfi Coast has enchanted visitors from all corners of the earth. Thelush green terraces, suspended over a sparkling sea, the wealth of art and the architectural characteristics, make it one of the most celebrated places on earth. Wild, daring and romantic, the Coast is an obligatory stop in any journey to Italy. From a geographic point of view the “coast of the Sirens” is the southern slope of the Sorrentine Peninsula, which in the north closes the Gulf of Salerno. The scenery is characterised by mighty cliffs that drop into the sea, rich with bays and coves like the splendid Emerald Grotto at Conca dei Marini and the Fiordo (Fjord) di Furore. Amidst vertiginous slopes, sheer drops and precipitous cliffs, there are places where nature is still uncontaminated, like the Vallone di Porto Oasis. The little villages that dot the “divine coast” are all to be explored, enjoying a clear blue sea, the stupefying views, the artistic treasures and the lively high society life. Shopping is also a venerated activity: in the characteristic boutiques of “Positano Fashion”, the ceramic shops of Vietri or sampling a delicious meal of traditional cuisine.
VIETRI SUL MARE
“I  have never seen more gracious places. The first you find is Maiori…The solitary  streets and tranquil trails enter into the mountain, from which clear and fresh  waters spring. So much romantic solitude restores one’s soul and gives birth to  the desire to live there in peace, or at least spend a summer.” 
    Ferdinand Gregorovius, 1861

At the base of the Amalfi Coast, on the side facing the Gulf of Salerno, Vietri sul Mare dominates from the small Valle di Bonea above, erected on the bastions of limestone and sloping down to the coast. With its small churches, their majolicacovered domes, and the small tile-covered houses, Vietri seems suspended between heaven and earth. In ancient times the town was Etruscan, but it was later dominated by the Samnites, the Lucanians and finally by the Romans. The church of San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist), dating to the 17th century, with its majestic dome and high bell tower, is located at the highest point of the old centre of town. The ceramics industry, for which Vietri is world famous, was already a booming business in the Middle Ages. Over the centuries artisans and artists have created prized works, a part of which can be admired in the Ceramics Museum which is located in the belvedere-tower of the Villa Guariglia in Raito.
The  Ceramics of Vietri
  
The advantageous position of the town, the ample supply of water and the richly wooded hills are all elements which over the years have lead to the development of the factories. The ceramics of Vietri, small masterpieces, are decorated with yellow and blue, the colours of nature and the sea, and with lemons and trusses of grapes. It is a pleasure to stroll about, to browse in the shops, visit the factories, and let your imagination be caught up in the whirlwind of colours and ideas. The choice is practically infinite and each shop differs in style and design.
  Just before Vietri is Cetara. This has always been a 
  fisherman’s village and its name comes from the 
  latin word ‘cetaria’, or tuna fishing net. This village 
  with its picturesque white architecture and its 
  intimate beach is one of the jewels of the coast. In 
  between the little square houses the church of San 
  Pietro stands out with its majolica cupola and its 
  bell tower from the 13th century.

The  straining of anchovies in Cetara
  Cetara is known to gourmets for this  ‘distilled’ dish, obtained by a special process of the salting of the anchovy  caught in the gulf of Salerno. The straining seems to be a noble descendant of  the ‘garum’, the ancient fish sauce used by the Romans for flavouring their  dishes. The precious liquid was obtained by pressing anchovies.

  
A few kilometres from Maiori is Erchie, with a tower on a boulder which separates the two beaches. The benedictine monastery Santa Maria de Erchie, founded in 980 and destroyed in 1451, gave this place its name. This small village with the characteristically white houses, the delightful beaches and the crystaline sea is ideal for a moment
  MAIORI
  
With is long beach and lovely shoreline, Maiori boasts  the best hotels of the area. Ruins of castles and towers give testimony to its  medieval splendour, when it was encircled and defended by walls and fortifications.  The church of Santa Maria a Mare dominates the town, and on every year on  August 15 festivities commemorate an event dating to 1204, when fishermen  pulled a statue of the Virgin from the water after it had been dumped by a boat  from Constantinople that was in trouble and had sought refuge in the Maiori bay  during a tempest. On the main altar there is a wooden sculpture of the Madonna  and Child, and a collection of art is cared for in the Sacristy Museum and the  crypt below it. The popular sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie has  medieval origins, but was restructured in the 1700’s. The unusual stone complex  of Santa Maria Olearia, a benedictan abbey built around the year 1000 is worth  a visit. In the buildings that hug the rock cliff, in one of the natural  grottoes of the area, there are halls, chapels, and small frescoed porticos. A  boat trip will take you for a visit to the Grotta Sulfurea and the Grotta  Pandora. The first one is rich in sulfuric-magnesic water with therapeutic properties;  in the second one the emerald-green scene, the stalactites and stalagmites  create an unforgettable scenario. Also around Minori one can find many signs of  the past, a lovely seaside resort as well as a grand Roman villa.
MINORI
  
A charming seaside village, Minori, with its little pink  houses over the beach, also offers splendid scenery. For its lovely position  along the coast, it was where the ancient Romans dedicated themselves to relax,  as witnessed by the many ruins, amongst which the Villa Romana, from the 1st  century BC, a 2,500 sq mt archaeological complex containing a viridarium  (garden), a nymphaeum-triclinium, and the splendid mosaics. At the Antiquarium  Museum there are relics dating back to the 1st century BC. In the centre of the  village, near to the little port, is the Basilica of Santa Trofimena, patron of  the city, built in the 12th century. Many other little churches and towers dot  the area.
  RAVELLO
“close to  Salerno is a coast looking out at sea, called by the locals the coast
    of Amalfi,  covered with little towns, gardens and fountains, and men rich and
    profitable in  the art of trade and other. 
    Amongst the towns there is one called Ravello.”
    Giovanni  Boccaccio, 1351

One of the gems of the Amalfi coast is Ravello,  350 meters above sea level, where the light effects and magical architecture  create a vision of rare intensity. Its name is immortalized in Boccaccio’s  Decameron. Famous for its tranquil and serene atmosphere, Ravello offers  architectural gems of rare elegance. The 11th century Duomo, dedicated to San Pantaleone,  is rich with artistic treasures like the grand bronze central door adorned with  54 panels.
  To the right of the Cathedral a square  tower marks the entrance to Villa Rufolo. Immersed in a verdant park of exotic  and mediterranean flora, the original structure dates back to the 13th century;  and even today some of its arab-siculian architecture is evident. The  polychromatic arabesque colonnade is splendid. The garden is one of the most beautiful  in Campania. Nature and man’s touch compete to create a highly evocative  atmosphere: villas lined by lime trees and cypresses, cascades of flowers. From  the belvedere the sea seems infinite. Each summer, in the gardens of the villa,  the concerts of the Ravello Festival are held. Wagner’s inspiration for the  Klingsor Garden, in his opera Parsifal, came from the gardens of Villa Rufolo.Villa  Cimbrone was, originally, a simple hut. It was bought in 1904 by Ernest William  Beckett, who transformed into an exceptionally fascinating Villa.
It has hosted many celebrated  personalities, from Winston  Churchill to Greta Garbo. There is a very special feeling in the cloister of  the villa, still showing elements of the ancient arab-sicilian style it was  built in. The belvedere is a terrace that gives on to infinity, and has no  equal in the world. San Giovanni del Toro and Santa Maria a Gradillo churches,  both built in the 12th century, also merit a visit. The San Giovanni del Toro  church has a pulpit rich in mosaic decorations. The Coral Museum, which  exhibits coral, cameos, decorated mother-of-pearl and shells from Roman times  to the 1900’s, is also interesting. Scala is close to Ravello, one of the most  picturesque site of the coast. Its Cathedral has a wooden Deposition from the  Cross dating back to the 1200’s.
ARTISTS IN RAVELLO
  Other than Wagner, musicians, writers and artists have  found in Ravello their artistic inspiration: the inventions of Grieg’s Peer  Gynt owe much to the woods of Ravello. Toscanini, Leonard Bernstein,  Rostropovich, and Bruno Walter also spend relaxing time here. Mirò, Escher,  Turner, whose seascapes of the area are to be found in London’s Tate Gallery,  as well as the writer and art critic Ruskin, were also guests here. Forster, author  of Room with a View, describes parts of the town; David Herbert Lawrence wrote  many chapters of Lady Chatterley’s Lover here, and Andrè Gide set part of his  novel The Immoralist here. Many more came here to enjoy the unique beauty,  others settled here for good: Virginia Woolf, Paul Valéry, Graham Greene,  Tennessee Williams, Rafael Alberti and Gore Vidal.
FROM AMALFI TO POSITANO
  
    The aerial  precipice of Amalfi is immersed in a network of pure colours that does not  repeat the nauseating and lazy colours of certain famous tropical seasons along  the route of the great journeys.
 
    Here is the garden that we are eternally and  uselessly searching for, after the perfect places of our childhood.Salvatore Quasimodo, 1966
    
ATRANI
  Almost tied to Amalfi, preserves in the intricacy of its little streets,  stairs and overpasses, its medieval texture. During the Republican era of  Amalfi, Atrani was inhabited by noble families. Here Doges were crowned and  buried.
  Between alleys, arches, courtyards, little squares and  with its typical small stairways, it seems like a nativity licked by the sea.
  Atrani faces the sea with the characteristic profile  of the Maddalena Church (1274) that is topped by a belltower and cupola that  is covered with vividly coloured majolica. The neoclassic church of San Salvatore de’ Bireto, on piazza Umberto I was
  founded in 940. It was in this church that the election  ceremonies and inaugurations of the new Doges of the Republic were held.
  The Grotto  of the Saints can be reached by the state  road. Here the ruins of the ancient Benedictine monastery of Santi Quirico e  Giulitta, founded in 986, are visible. The little grotto is decorated with byzantine  style frescoes that date to the 12th century.
AMALFI
  The heart and soul of the coast is Amalfi. In the serene blue of the sky and sea, 
  Amalfi, guarded by its port, seems held in the palm of  a hand. Above, the scenic drapery of the mountains, hinged like a backdrop,  dotted with houses; below, a picturesque weaving of alleys and steps, all the  way to the Piazza, where the Cathedral dominates from the top of its majestic  stairs. A unique scene, where historic memory intertwines with unforgettable  natural beauty. Suspended between the slopes of Lattari Mountains and the sea,  the picturesque alleys of Amalfi today host a large number of tourists, but there  was a time, when the powerful Marine Republic had its moment of maximum splendor  between the 10th and 12th centuries, that they kept the outsiders  (Longobards and Saracenes) at bay.
  Rich and populated Amalfi enjoyed lively contact with  the Orient. In memory of its ancient power every four years, in June, Amalfi  holds the “Historic Regatta of the Marine Republics”.
  
The town of Amalfi, clinging to the slopes of the coast,  is characterised by the 
  famous Duomo (9th century). Its scenic position at the top of  steep stairs, that open up among the houses gathered around the small square,  give a particular flavour to
  Amalfi’s historic centre.
  The imposing polychromatic façade of the church,  illuminated by gilded and enameled mosaics, is impressive. Traces of the middle  ages are to be found in the elegant Cloister of Heaven, with its arabesque  lines. From the cloister go to the Crucifiction Chapel, where the Diocesan  Museum is hosted. In this chapel is the entrance to the crypt, dating back to  the 1200’s. The complex is one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture  of the Amalfi coast. An exploration of Amalfi that desires the inclusion of the  less known places should make a stop at the Antichi Arsenali, where famous galleys, with over one hundred oars,  were constructed and destined to commerce with the Orient. The Tabula Amalphitana is preserved in Palazzo Morelli, seat of the municipality and of the Civic Museum.  It was the first code of naval law, established in the times of the Republic and valid for the  entire Mediterranean Sea. The famous “drafts” of Domenico  Morelli, one of the most famous painters of the  1800’s, from which the mosaics which adorn the  church were created, can be admired. 
  
  
Amalfi is also famous as the home of handmade paper. 
  The first workshops were opened along the Valley of the Mills, where the Paper  Museum is. This area,  crossed by the Canneto River, and that of the nearby Valley of the Ferriere, a charming natural environment,  constitute a Natural Biogenetic Reserve. The ascent from Amalfi is tiring but fascinating.  The remains of the mills that brought the water to the paper workshops are discovered, and the  walk in nature that hides secret charms, is rewarded  with springs and waterfalls, and glimpses of the  sea between the lush mediterranean scrub. 
The  stairs of the Coast
  What would the Amalfi Coast be without its stairs? They  are everywhere: a characteristic of its villages, agile and indispensible communication  system to overcome impervious height differences. It does not take long to  become accustomed to them, one soon learns to appreciate its picturesque and,  above all, ecological aspect, useful also in disintoxication from stress and  city noise.
The Wine  Trail of the Amalfi Coast
  The Road twists amidst terraces that hold hanging vineyards  on precipices over the sea, suddenly opening with marvelous views, between the  valleys and gorges where the splendid architecture of the coast clambers  upwards.
  The traditional vines are cultivated here, and are renamed  by the locals, like Falanghina, become Bianca Zita (white girl); Biancolella, become  Bianca Tenera (tender white) and Lo Sciascinoso, Olivella.
  The wines produced are all Costa d’Amalfi and Ravello Doc  wines.
Amalfi  paper
  There is no documentation about the origins of paper production.  In 1220 Frederick II, however, prohibited the notaries of the kingdom,  especially those from Amalfi, from using “bambagina” paper (as it was then  called) for the writing of Acts, because it was considered more perishable than  parchment.
  None the less, its spread could not be arrested, and the  art of paper-making was diffused all over the Coast, especially after the  Council of Trent decreed the obligation of recording all the sacramental acts,  deaths and religious events. In the 15th century the fame of Amalfi paper was  such that many foreign authors demanded to be published in Naples to be able to  use the prized material. Even today, in a reduced manner, the paper-makers of  Amalfi, the oldest in Europe, still
  handmake the precious paper for use by artists or limited  edition

  
  
  CONCA  DEI MARINI
  The nearby Conca  dei Marini is a fishing village hemmed  in by a marine loop that offers a stunning slice of panorama. The two extremes  of this marvellous bay are Capo di  Conca, dominated by the Torre di Conca (erected in the  1500’s) testimony
  to the terrifying incursions of pirates, and the Emerald Grotto. 
  
  
  
  
  
  The waters breaking into the grotto take on an intense  green hue, caused by light filtration. This grotto is full of stalactites and stalagmites,  often fused together to form limestone columns of up to 10 meters.
  From Conca you can get to the plateau of Agerola (650 mt), passing through woods and fields. The area,  blessed with flowering fields renown since antiquity,  is famous for its dairy products and for the exceptional  views of the coast from above. 
PRAIANO 
  halfway up the promontory of Capo Sottile, was the  summer residence of the Doge of Amalfi, a precocious sign of the future of the  village toward becoming a relaxing holiday resort. The lower part of town goes  towards Marina di Praia, a beach carved between two high rock walls. Guarding  over this marina is one of the many watch-towers that dot the coast.
The  “votive kiosks” of Praiano
  There are many “votive kiosks”, tiny chapels of majolica  tiles or with frescoed walls, spread around Praiano. They are spontaneous  testimony to popular devotion, placed on walls of houses or on the
  borders between properties, they begged for divine protection.

  
  FURORE
  On a slope cultivated with vines and olive trees one finds  Furore. The  ancient name for the entire area was once Terra Furoris, for the deafening  noise made by the sea and the wind during tempestuous nights as they echoed  among the high walls of the
  sheer fjords that come straight down from the plateau of Agerola. A  steep set of steps takes you to the bottom. The attraction of this piece of  coast is irresistable, with the fjords wedged between vines and cliffs, tiny  houses and the sea.
POSITANO
  
    Positano bites  deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there 
    and becomes  beckoningly real after you have gone. 
    Its houses climb a hill so steep it would  be a cliff except that stairs are cut in it.
    The small  curving bay of unbelievably blue and green water lips gently on a beach of  small pebbles.
    John  Steinbeck, 1953
Set into the mountain, surrounded by rich  mediterranean vegetation, Positano is so
  picturesque as to seem a spontaneous stage  setting. Seen from the sea it looks like a huge nativity scene, a waterfall of  little multicoloured houses clingin onto its sides.
  The town develops vertically. The homes,  one on top of the other, are characterised by arched porticos that give onto  the sea, and are painted in pastel colours, giving it the look of a  multifaceted preciousstone. It is not for nothing that Positano is called
  “the gem of the divine coast”.
  The narrow streets, lined with boutiques,  run downhill between the houses flowing onto the Spiaggia Grande, a wide beach. From here there is a  beautiful view of the sea, as well as of the town as it clambers up the  mountainside.
  On the main square of Positano is the  parish church of Santa Maria  Assunta, there since  the year 1,000. The great coloured majolica cupola is visible from all over  town. The little beaches of Positano are charming, and easy to get to on foot  or by boat: Fornillo, Fiumicello and Arienzo.
  Positano is a holiday destination appreciated  for VIP vacations. Around 1940 Irene Kowaliska, a painter who lived here in Villa Sette Santi, used Positano 
  as inspiration for her paintings on cloth.  
  The Villa Stella Romana has been host to, among other Popes, Pope John Paul II. Illustrious artists, fashion moguls and screen stars love to come here to relax. 
  A few miles from the coast are Li Galli, or “Sirenuse”, a tiny archipelago made  up of three islets: the Gallo Lungo, the Rotonda and the Castelluccio,  considered the ancient dwellings of the enchanting Sirens. Positano is not just  about the sea: pleasant walks take one to visit the evocative areas  around Lattari Mountains, like
  Montepertuso, so-called because it is said that the  Madonna appeared here in a hole in the cliff (“pertuso” stands for hole) . A  stairway of 1,700 steps takes you to Nocelle. It is from  here that the famous Trail of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei)
  begins, with beautiful views over the  entire coast.
  Or you can reach the beautiful coastal Punta San Pietro, where there is a little church on a  precipice over the sea. 

  Shopping in Positano
  Positano is synonymous with summer  fashion. In the labyrinth of alleys the miracle of “made in Positano” fashion  was realised: dozens of boutiques show off their whimsical summer-wear, by now  known the world over.
  Textiles and colours lay down the law in  the world of beachwear: pareus to bikinis, casual and “gran gala” evening wear,  even characteristic wedding dresses. The hand-made leather footwear can be ordered  to size.
  On sale are the colourful local ceramics,  the paintings by the many artists that propose views of the enchanting gulf,  and a wide range of typical products.
  
  
  The myth of the Sirens
  
The Sirenuse archipelago (now known as Li  Galli) in front of Positano, three solitary rocky islets, were considered to be  the dwellings of the Sirens, mythical figures that attracted seafarers with  their chants, often causing them to wreck. The myths probably served as  warnings: the islets were meant to be a reference point for the sailors, if  they got too close to land they would end up on the rocks. In 1924, on the  islet of Gallo Lungo, the Russian dancer and coreographer Leonide Massine built  a villa (restructered in 1927 by the architect Le Corbusier) that was  eventually bought by Rudolf Nureyev. In memory of these artists the Positano International  Award for the Art of Dance is presented every year.

      
  PAESTUM

At the edge of the Sele plains, where  Cilento begins, is Paestum. It is one of the most precious of the  archaeological gems of Italy, known the world over, especially for its  spectacular doric temples.
  Legend attributes them to the Argonauts of  Greek mythology, but it was the inhabitants of Sibari that founded Paestum in  the 6th century BC. The city, first called Poseidonia, soon became one of  the  most flourishing of the  Mediterranean. Its demise coincided with the fall of the Roman Empire. The  buildings were stripped for the construction of churches and palaces, and the  ruins forgotten until the 18th century, when travellers began to return here.
  The three doric temples from the 5th  century BC, among the best preserved of all of antiquity, are the marvels of  this Archaeological Park, as they stand majestically on the plains  in front of the sea: the Temple of Neptune, the Basilica and the Temple of Cerere. The first two are tied to the cult of  Hera (Greek goddess of marriage and wife of Zeus). The 5 km long walls  constitute one of the best preserved fortified structures in all of Magna  Grecia. In summer the ‘Night trails’ amid the temples of Paestum permit the visitor to enjoy the  archaeological area by moonlight, a magical experience.
  In the area of the Roman city, apart from  the Capitolium, there are other significant remains: the  Forum, the Amphitheatre, and the remains of various religious  structures. To the west of the temples is via Sacra, the street of the  processions, the foundations of which are Greek.
Not far from the excavations is the Archaeological Museum of Paestum, home to some of the most important works in Southern Italy. The most important are the frescoes from the 5th century BC Tomb of the Diver. 
  It is a “painted box tomb”, made up of  four lateral slabs decorated with banquet scenes. The cover depicts a diving  boy: the scene probably symbolises the passage from life to the world of the  dead. The sculptured metopes are important  decorative elements of the temples, as are the frescoes of the 4th century  lucanian tombs, with the typical“Return of the warrior” scenes. 
The Aeneolithic relics of the Gaudo necropolis are preserved here, as well as archaic, (the terracotta Zeus statue), classic and hellenistic (the bronze statue of Sileno Marsia) era items. In the museum the full room tomb of a man and a woman from Agropoli has been reconstructed. With the buried couple there is also a famous vase on which the myth of Bellerophon is painted, signed by Assteas. The relics of the nearby sanctuary of Hera Argiva, the Heraion of Sele, are also kept here.
  
The ruins of Capaccio Vecchio dominate the plain of Paestum. The town, flourishing in the Norman era, was destroyed in 1248 by Frederick II because it hosted conspirators. Apart from the ruins of the castle, the sanctuary of the Madonna del Granato, built in the 12th century and reconstructed in the 1700’s, destination of intense pilgrimage even today, is well worth a visit.
  
  
  
  
  Buffalo mozzarella 
  The exquisite buffalo mozzarella is made  only in Campania, and following unchanged centuries-old
  traditions. Apart from the Caserta  province, the Sele Plains are the only other place for this characteristic product.  There are many dairy farms in the area of the mouth of the Sele river: in some  it is possible to watch them make it and then enjoy the fresh results.
    
                 
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