Paestum is one of the most significant and valuable archaeological sites in Italy, a gem of our cultural heritage particularly well known for its spectacular Doric temples. The legends attribute its construction to the "Argonauts" of the Greek mythology but they were people of Greek origin who founded Paestum in the 6th century BC. The town, at first called Poseidonia in honor of Poseidon, God of the Sea, soon became one of the most prosperous in the Mediterranean. Its decline coincided with the fall of the Roman Empire. The drive from Naples lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes.