Help preserve a millennial history.
With your donation you can save our heritage and keep the flame of antiquity alive.
Protect the Heritage: Adopt a Block of Paestum’s City Walls
Paestum’s city walls stretch for almost 5 kilometres and would originally have stood around 7 metres high. Along their course, once protected by a defensive moat still partially visible today, there are 28 towers of varying shapes—quadrangular, circular, and pentagonal—as well as four main gates aligned with the cardinal points: Porta Aurea (north), Porta Giustizia (south), Porta Sirena (east), and Porta Marina (west). Numerous smaller gateways are also found along different sections of the walls.
The defensive complex dates from between the late 4th and 3rd centuries BC, during the period of the Latin colony, although it was preceded by an earlier fortification system from Paestum’s Greek era.
In 1829, the construction of the modern road cut through Paestum’s city walls to the north and south, resulting in the destruction of the northern gate, known as Porta Aurea (the Golden Gate). Originally, this gate was connected by a bridge—now buried beneath the modern road—that once crossed the moat protecting three sides of the city.
Preserve Eternal Value: Adopt a Lucanian Slab
The Museum’s remarkable collection of frescoed slabs represents a heritage of extraordinary historical and artistic importance, dating back to the period of Lucanian rule over the Greek city of Poseidonia in the fifth century BC.
While the Lucanians preserved many of the major sacred and political structures from the Greek era, the most significant change can be seen in burial practices. They introduced a new style of tomb—chest or chamber tombs—adorned with paintings depicting armed warriors, domestic scenes, richly dressed women, games, and funeral rituals.
The painted tombs of Paestum form a corpus of over one hundred tombs. Most have undergone at least one restoration over the years. However, due to the fragile nature of the materials and their long conservation history, the frescoes continue to age and require ongoing, meticulous monitoring. Periodic, carefully targeted micro-restoration interventions are essential to ensure their preservation and to maintain optimal conservation standards.
Adopt the Neptune Mosaic:
Help Protect Precious Testament to Paestum’s Roman Past
The Neptune Mosaic of Paestum is an extraordinary work of art from the Roman period, originally located within a thermal complex of the ancient city. This polychrome mosaic depicts Neptune, the god of the sea, surrounded by marine creatures and decorative motifs that emphasise his majesty and connection to the aquatic world.
After being hidden beneath protective layers for nearly twenty years, the mosaic has recently undergone major restoration. The work involved carefully detaching the mosaic flooring, stabilising it onto a new support, and then repositioning it to ensure its long-term preservation.
At present, the mosaic remains covered to protect it from winter weather, but it will be unveiled again in the spring, offering visitors the chance to admire one of the finest examples of Roman mosaic art in Paestum.
Support the Restoration of a Unique and Significant Artefact
Marsyas is a figure from Greek mythology whose story and iconography were carried through into the Roman era. He is described as a highly skilled satyr, or silenus, who played the aulos, a wind instrument similar to a flute. His most famous tale is the musical contest with Apollo, held before the Muses. After losing the challenge, Marsyas is punished for his hybris by Apollo, who binds him to a tree and flays him alive. In ancient art, he is often depicted tied to a tree and blindfolded, shown in a state of suffering.
The bronze statue of Marsyas preserved at Paestum is an exceptional example of Magna Graecia bronze craftsmanship. It was created using a combination of casting and hammering techniques and was originally composed of eight bronze sheets, five of which survive today.
Beyond its technical excellence, the sculpture carries important symbolic and historical meaning: in Roman times, Marsyas came to symbolise libertas—the hard-won political, social, and economic freedoms of the plebeian class. This is indicated by the heavy rings (compedes) around the figure’s ankles, no longer chained, suggesting a state of liberation.
The statue is dated to after 273 BC (with the head dating to the 4th century BC) and is associated with the Roman conquest of Paestum, when the city was seized from the Lucanian confederation.
Make a free donation
Every donation, however small, offers a unique opportunity to help preserve and enhance the archaeological heritage we hold in trust for future generations. Thanks to your support, we can continue to protect and bring to life the extraordinary history of the Parks.
BENEFICIARY: PARCHI ARCHEOLOGICI DI PAESTUM E VELIA
IBANIT16Y0834276140004010045070
REASON: Art Bonus – Parco archeologico di Paestum – PARCHI ARCHEOLOGICI DI PAESTUM E VELIA – Taxpayer code or VAT number of the patron – Name of Intervention (optional)
For more information, write to: pa-paeve.promozione@beniculturali.it
Support the archaeological heritage of the Parks with your 5×1000
Take part in a journey through over 2600 years of history.
Allocate your 5×1000 to the activities of the Paestum and Velia Archaeological Parks.
The income tax declaration forms CU, 730, and UNICO include a section dedicated to the 5×1000. In the section related to the “FUNDING FOR THE PROTECTION, PROMOTION, AND ENHANCEMENT OF CULTURAL AND LANDSCAPE HERITAGE,” you can sign and enter the tax code 93028470651.
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.
