Elea-Velia con Parmenide e Zenone Le Guide di Paestum e Velia en

Elea-Velia is one of the most interesting archaeological sites, although it is not very famous.

The ancient city was founded around 535 B.C. by the Phocaeans who came from Eskii Foca in Turkey, a small fishers’ village.

Elea was the city of Parmenides, a pre-Socratic philosopher, whose slogan was “"whatever is is, and what is not cannot be". Also Zeno was born here, he was known for his "paradoxes”. To react to the dictator Nearco, he decided to cut his tongue.

Parmenides was the founder of the Eleatic Medical School, whose ideas inspired the medieval Medical School in Salerno. Several marble busts of doctors were found during the excavations.

The beauty of this place and the good air made Velia a favourite resort for the Roman aristocracy.
Cicero, in fact, stayed here for a while, to cure his cough thanks to the clean air.
The guided visit through the site is both an archaeological  and naturalistic experience, being surrounded by typical flowers, plants and herbs that give pleasure to the soul.

Along the Greek road, still perfectly paved, you can see the remains of private houses and of various buildings such as two thermal baths, one dating back to the Hellenistic period, another one to the roman time. There is also a cryptoporticus, which was probably Parmenides’ school.
At the end of the road, there is the famous “Porta Rosa”, a gate discovered by Mario Napoli in 1964. It’s the unique example of a Greek arch of the fourth century b.C. On the highest part of the promontory, there is the Angevin tower like a symbol of its glorious past. Impressive is the panoramic sight of the coastline from the tower. All the artefacts digget out during the centuries are displayed in two small museums near the tower.

Elea-Velia was a very important cultural centre in the past: greek and latin were spoken, coins were minted and trade played a crucial role because the town imported and exported goods to different mediterranean cities.

Furthermore, in the fifth century A.D. the relics of Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist were found here. The relics are now in the crypt of Salerno’s cathedral.

Saint Matthew is the patron saint of Salerno.