The circuit of the walls
The walls of Paestum is one of the best-preserved fortification
Magna Graecia. Sttraverso develops a circuit of 4750 meters, following the trend of travertine bench on which the city lies along a route roughly pentagonal, with the side lower toward the coast. The circuit and fully visible along the road that modern covers the ancient moat and running around the walls. This cinta presents an average thickness of five meters and a maximum of seven, but do not keep for all his height that was wandering about seven meters.
The walls are constructed of square blocks of limestone, arranged to form two vestments rather thick, connected by bridles containment.
Along the trail you can watch towers are 28 usually rectangular in shape, circular and a pentagonal, raised in defense of doors;
two of the quadrangular towers on the south-eastern Europe, were fully restored nell'Ottocento; one of them is still used as the headquarters of Paestum Foundation and its library. The Most of these towers have a full basement and is accessible only by road patrol, while others had inferiormente access from within the city. At the cardinal points and the two main arteries of the city, open the four main entrances: Porta Marina west, the Golden Gate in the north east port and Sirena Justice brings to the south. At the gates plus 47 other small openings or mail is the functional Defense and any sorties in the event of war, both to gain easier access to the city in time peace.
It is likely that the limit of the city's oldest phases in do not deviate much from that followed by marked walls. This limit was perhaps marked only by a fence or a Agger in which it was not possible to bury the dead. Traces of a more walls' old were recently identified on the southern port of Justice.
Points on history will be possible following the search along the south-east where are ongoing activities of excavation and restoration.
The structures seen today are mostly the result of changes and renovations included in chronologically between the fourth and the first century BC A strong destructive intervention was undoubtedly caused by the construction of the "Via delle Calabria "(today's way of Magna Grecia, a former state 18) that achieved in 1828 by the government Bourbon, still crosses the ancient city, dividing it into two. The construction of the road caused the almost total destruction of the northern port, said Aurea, of dell'Anfiteatro and suddenly the walls in the south.
MARINA DOOR
Named as posed by the side of the sea, it is the most impressive among the receptacles access wall is a complex and interesting. Present a great vestibule, with powerful walls and guards, closed out with two circular towers that defending the entrance; of them will retain only the North since the South was destroyed in the remake of Roman walls.
DOOR SIRENA
Mail to the east, is so called because the keystone of its arch is decorated with a bas-relief, little distinguishable representative Scilla with a two-tail fish, wrongly interpreted as a mermaid. The door, entirely preserved in its structure, has two bastions quadrilateral central courtyard, entrance closed internal and external surmounted by an arc at all sixth. Inside, the sides of opening, are two staircases, leading to walk on patrol walls.