The archaeological site of Paestum and its three huge Greek temples, a World Heritage Site on the Amalfi coast (southern Italy), has just reopened to the public, beating out its popular Roman rival, Pompei.
Italy is gradually reopening its tourist heritage, after a long confinement of more than two months, hoping to revive local and even international tourism.
Paestum, the first archaeological site to reopen, is an ancient Greek colony founded in 600 BC. Since 18 May, visitors can once again visit the site in limited numbers, subject to temperature checks at the entrance and wearing a protective mask.
Temple of Hera II at night. Credit: Peppealb /Wikipedia Commons
Site director Gabriel Zuchtriegel has designed a one-way route to three impressive Doric temples. A free application allows visitors to find their way around and also to send an alert if there are too many people in one place.
For the time being, there are still few visitors to walk through the archaeological park.
The Italian government will reopen the country's external borders from 3 June in order to revive the tourism sector damaged by the confinement. In Rome, St. Peter's Basilica is once again open to the public, as are the Borghese Gallery and the Capitoline Museums. The site of Pompeii, south of Naples, will be accessible next Tuesday.
The Vatican Museums, a world tourist mecca with nearly 7 million visitors a year, announced on Saturday that they will reopen on 1 June 1, using a reservation system.
The Brussels Times
