Metapontum

Metapontum was an ancient Greek city on the Ionian coast of southern Italy, located near the modern locality of Metaponto in Apulia. It was a significant foundation in Magna Graecia with surviving archaeological remains.

The site displays the remnants of temples, public buildings and urban layouts from the Archaic and Classical periods; one of the best-known features is the ruined Doric temple with surviving columns. Excavated areas and surface remains offer insight into the city’s plan and its long occupation through Greek and Roman times.

Founded by Greek colonists in the archaic period, the city flourished as part of Magna Graecia and later experienced Roman control and settlement. Archaeological work has exposed temples, houses and necropoleis that document its development and decline.

The ruins lie on the Ionian coast in southern Italy, in the region administered as Apulia, set in coastal lowlands near the modern town of Metaponto.

• Key ruins: Notable visible remains include a Doric temple and scattered ruins that illustrate an organized Greek colonial layout and later occupation layers.

What to See #

• Temple of Hera: The remains of a Doric temple usually associated with Hera, with several standing columns and foundations dating to the Archaic period.
• Archaeological area: An archaeological area including street layouts, foundations of public buildings and burial grounds from the Greek and later Roman phases of the city.