Paestum's Archaeological Park: A Timeless City Awakens

Luca Cantore D'Amore reflects on Paestum, an ancient city in Campania, Italy, as part of a series on Italy's ghost towns. He contrasts the desolate silence of the Paestum Archaeological Park during the COVID-19 lockdown with the emptiness of nearby bustling cities like Naples and Salerno. The pandemic, which hit Campania with severe restrictions, paradoxically made these metropolitan centers feel as abandoned as the ancient site. Cantore D'Amore argues that Paestum, dormant for over 1,500 years, offers a unique encounter with the past, its silence amplifying the echoes of antiquity. He cites Erri De Luca's novel "Montedidio" (2001) and Salvatore Settis's "Futuro del classico" (2004) to frame the experience as a dreamlike state where past and present merge. The article highlights the work of Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Paestum Archaeological Park, in cultural revitalization. The piece is illustrated with photos by Massimo Listri and published on Artribune in June 2020.