www.infopaestum.it

​History of Capaccio
The city was founded at the beginning of the seventh century BC by Greek. They came from Sybaris (Sybaris) with the name of Poseidonia. The wealth of the city is documented by the construction which took place between the sixth and fifth centuries BC of Large temples whose ruins are still preserved to this day. After the invasion of Sibariti, some "exiles pestani"installed in this interland, giving life to the settlement of Controne. In the fifth century B.C. the Samnites, Italic people of Sabellico, conquered the city and gave it the name of Paistom. In 273 B.C. It became a Roman colony under Roman law with the name of Paestum. After the alleance with the loser, Pyrrhus, in the war against Rome in the early third century BC The city remained under Roman rule, but began to decline between the fourth and seventh centuries, probably because of the changing in drainage that led to the swamping and contemporary to the arrival in Europe of the malaria. After the destruction caused first by the Saracens in the ninth century and then by the Normans in the eleventh century the site was abandoned. During the Middle Ages, its inhabitants went away and founded Capaccio. Capaccio together with Laura ( a little fraction), in September 9, 1943, was involved in the landings of Allied forces during the Avalanche Operation. Paestum today shows important architectural monuments of Greek and Roman ages.

Necropolis
A necropolis of Gaudo is far about 1 Km from Paestum. It is extended on about 2000 m², with about thirty graves. It is called Necropolis of Gavdos, and it has been attributed to the cultural field of Gavdos. The necropolis was discovered accidentally by US Army, during the Avalanche Operation, while they were working for creating an airstrip. Thanks to the cultural sensitivity of the USA military commands the site has been preserved until today.

the Museum
The museum keeps an 'important collection of ancient Greek objects coming from the south of Italy. It also keeps pieces coming from the findings of the surroundings of Paestum, they are funerary objects from the necropolis Greek and Lucan. There are lots of vases, weapons and paintings. The most important are the paintings coming from the famous Tomb of the Diver (480-470 BC), the only examples of the Greek painting of the classical age and of Magna Grecia. They represent the transition from life to dead, as a diver jumping in 'water. Considerable importance has also the cycle of Lucanian painted tombs belonging to the period of the city. In the museum you can also find metopes cycles coming from dall'Heraion Sele.

Paestum and its surroundings
The Hotel Paestum is situated between the famous temples of Paestum, it is far just a few meters from the sea and it has a strategic position for beautiful places such as: Capri, Amalfi, Sorrento, Ravello, Positano, Naples.