Capaccio-Paestum

The strategic geographical position of Capaccio dominates the plain of the temples of Paestum, offering an excellent panoramic of the entire Gulf of Salerno. In the area called Capaccio Vecchia, some centuries ago, the first settlement was established. There are several hypotheses about the birth of this settlement: from a possible migration of the inhabitants of the Sele Plain, who retreated to Mount Calpazio to defend themselves against Saracen invasion and protect themselves from malaria (880 AD), to the documented hypothesis of an already existing settlement 794 AD: the place then known as Capaque, was in fact mentioned in some official documents of the time. However the most reliable hypothesis attests the emigration of the inhabitants of Paestum in search of a safer place, located on Mount Calpazio, which offered them a better life, and was not visible from the plain. The city was fortified with some walls concentrated mainly south-west of the city and, in part, still preserved. The water problem was solved with the construction of brick cisterns, still visible, which allowed rainwater to be collected and gradually spread. Capaccio was besieged and destroyed by Frederick II in 1246. Paestum, for many centuries, was barely remembered by artists and poets, who celebrated in particular the wonderful roses. In 1752, when King Charles III of Bourbon promoted the construction of the road to the south, crossing the same ancient city, the fame of Paestum spread again. The excavations started in 1907 have allowed the discovery of significant monuments and finds of various kinds: the walls, the Forum, the Amphitheater, houses, thermal complexes and many other remains. Particularly significant are the three Doric temples located in the sacred area in the center of the city. Worth a visit are the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum, one of the most important Italian archaeological museums amd the Paleochristian Basilica (Church of the Annunciation), one of the most evocative treasures of Paestum.

The strategic geographical position of Capaccio dominates the plain of the temples of Paestum, offering an excellent panoramic of the entire Gulf of Salerno. In the area called Capaccio Vecchia, some centuries ago, the first settlement was established. There are several hypotheses about the birth of this settlement: from a possible migration of the inhabitants of the Sele Plain, who retreated to Mount Calpazio to defend themselves against Saracen invasion and protect themselves from malaria (880 AD), to the documented hypothesis of an already existing settlement 794 AD: the place then known as Capaque, was in fact mentioned in some official documents of the time. However the most reliable hypothesis attests the emigration of the inhabitants of Paestum in search of a safer place, located on Mount Calpazio, which offered them a better life, and was not visible from the plain. The city was fortified with some walls concentrated mainly south-west of the city and, in part, still preserved. The water problem was solved with the construction of brick cisterns, still visible, which allowed rainwater to be collected and gradually spread. Capaccio was besieged and destroyed by Frederick II in 1246. Paestum, for many centuries, was barely remembered by artists and poets, who celebrated in particular the wonderful roses. In 1752, when King Charles III of Bourbon promoted the construction of the road to the south, crossing the same ancient city, the fame of Paestum spread again. The excavations started in 1907 have allowed the discovery of significant monuments and finds of various kinds: the walls, the Forum, the Amphitheater, houses, thermal complexes and many other remains. Particularly significant are the three Doric temples located in the sacred area in the center of the city. Worth a visit are the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum, one of the most important Italian archaeological museums amd the Paleochristian Basilica (Church of the Annunciation), one of the most evocative treasures of Paestum.