Layout and Structure of Paestum’s City Walls
Together with the temples, the city walls are one of the most recognisable and defining features of Paestum, and one of the best-preserved defensive systems among ancient cities.
The circuit extends for nearly 5 kilometres, outlining an almost trapezoidal perimeter that once enclosed the city. The continuous route is briefly interrupted to the north and south by gaps created during the construction of the Bourbon-era road. Access to the city was provided by four main gates: Porta Aurea to the north (now almost entirely destroyed), Porta Sirena to the east, Porta Giustizia to the south, and Porta Marina to the west.
There are also 47 smaller openings, known as postierle, which would have allowed military sorties between the walls and the ditch during times of siege. The defensive structure was further reinforced by 28 towers, mostly quadrangular in shape, with a smaller number being circular or pentagonal. In terms of construction technique, the walls are made of two outer faces of travertine blocks, linked at regular intervals by cross walls and filled internally with earth and limestone. Their thickness ranges between 5.5 and 6.5 metres, while the original height probably exceeded 7 metres. A patrol walkway once ran along the top, accessible by a double flight of stairs.
The Evolution of Paestum’s City Walls Over Time
Establishing a clear chronology for Paestum’s city walls is no easy task. The fortification system as we see it today was not built as part of a single construction project, but rather the result of a series of interventions carried out over at least three centuries. The earliest phase of construction dates to the 4th century BC, during the Lucanian period. In the centuries that followed, the walls, gates, postierle, and towers were repeatedly repaired and restored, sometimes extensively.
It is also likely that the earlier Greek city had its own defensive system before the arrival of the Lucanians. Traces of this earlier structure have been found near Porta Giustizia, suggesting a fortification originally made of an earthen embankment and wooden palisades, dating from between the 6th and 5th centuries BC.
I Parchi archeologici di Paestum e Velia sono un istituto del Ministero della Cultura dotato di autonomia speciale, iscritto dal 1998 nella lista del patrimonio mondiale UNESCO.
The Archaeological Parks of Paestum and Velia; an institute of the Ministry of Culture, with special autonomy and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
