The happy geographical position, located at the center of the hefty traffic between Greece and Etruria, transformed Elea (Velia) into one of the wealthiest polis of Magna Graecia. The Cilento National Park and Vallo di Diano have been a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve area since 1997, and the site has been part of the #UNESCO Geoparks network since 2010... #tuttitaly
The city of Velia, known in ancient times by the Greek name Elea, was founded by the inhabitants of Phocaea, a Greek city in Asia Minor conquered by the Persians.
Being located at the center of the heavy traffic between Greece and Etruria, Velia became one of the richest Polis of Magna Graecia.
Thanks to its two ports and an effective defensive system aided by an impervious nature and careful diplomacy, the city avoided being conquered by the Lucanians, unlike what happened in Poseidonia, the current Paestum.
Following a policy of substantial neutrality, Velia almost always managed not to get involved in the many conflicts between the Polis of Magna Graecia. However, during the Punic wars, he was faithful to Rome, allowing it to retain control over the Tyrrhenian Sea in 88 BC. It lost its autonomy, becoming a Roman municipality.
The construction of the great roads that put Rome in contact with the East via the Adriatic Sea and the burying of the two ports contributed to the city's decline.
Having no longer any role in the trade routes, Velia gradually shrunk into a small fishing village. In the 9th century, the city was definitively abandoned to escape malaria and the raids of Saracen pirates.
The remains of the ancient city were found in the middle of the last century within the municipal area of Ascea and today enrich the tourist offer linked to summer bathing.
Velia was a great cultural center of antiquity. The Eleatic school was significant in the history of philosophy, and its leading exponents were Parmenides, Zeno, and Melisso di Samo.
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