In the footsteps of the philosophers of Elea

Behind the busy seaside resorts of Marina di Ascea and Velia and miles of sandy beach lie the excavations of the ancient Greek colony of Elea, which was founded by Greek settlers around the 6th century BC. Elea became known throughout the Greek world for its school of philosophy, where famous figures like Parmenides or Zeno of Elea reflected and taught.

At the time of its foundation, the Cilentan coastline was further inland and the settlement was still right by the sea, separated into a northern and southern town only by a ridge of hills that led down to the water. This ridge provides a strategically advantageous location with a view over the entire bay, the fertile plain of the Alento River and far into the mountainous hinterland to Monte Gelbison, which is why the acropolis was built there. For the paved main street between the northern and southern towns, a gorge-like passage was cut into the ridge and fortified with the Porta Rosa, a city gate made of large sandstone blocks.

A visit to the site rewards you with an educational and entertaining walk through history as well as a cultural landscape thousands of years old that’s well worth seeing, and children will have fun too, even if there aren’t any massive monumental buildings like in Paestum. In the Middle Ages, a watchtower that is still visible from afar today was added to the ruins of the settlement, and its terraces offer a panoramic view that remains just as impressive.

More pictures in the Cilento Gallery