Editing Magna Graecia (section)

==UNESCO World Heritage Sites related to Magna Graecia==
{{see also|List of World Heritage Sites in Italy}}

===Valle dei Templi===
{{main|Valle dei Templi}}
[[File:Agrigento-Tempio della Concordia01.JPG|thumb|The [[Temple of Concordia, Agrigento|Temple of Concordia]], [[Valle dei Templi]], [[Agrigento]], [[Sicily]]]]
[[file:Agrigento Telamon.jpg|thumb|Remains of one [[atlas (architecture)|atlas]] in the ''[[Temple of Olympian Zeus, Agrigento|Olympeion]]'' field, [[Valle dei Templi]], [[Agrigento]], [[Sicily]]]]

The [[Valle dei Templi]], or Valley of the Temples, is an [[archaeological site]] in [[Agrigento]] (ancient Greek ''Akragas''), [[Sicily]]. It is one of the most outstanding examples of ancient Greek art and architecture of Magna Graecia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visititaly.it/info/992543-valle-dei-templi-agrigento.aspx|title=Valle dei Templi|access-date=14 July 2023|language=it}}</ref> The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site is located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.

Since 1997, the entire area has been included in the [[List of World Heritage Sites in Italy|UNESCO World Heritage List]]. The archaeological and landscape park of the Valle dei Templi, with its 1,300 hectares, is the largest archaeological park in Europe and the Mediterranean basin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parcodeitempli.net/|title=Parco Valle dei Templi|access-date=17 May 2012|language=it}}</ref>

The Valley includes remains of seven temples, all in [[Doric style]]. The ascription of the names, apart from that of the ''[[Temple of Olympian Zeus, Agrigento|Olympeion]]'', is a mere tradition established in Renaissance times. The temples are:

*[[Temple of Concordia, Agrigento|Temple of Concordia]], whose name comes from a Latin inscription found nearby, and which was built in the 5th century BC. Turned into a church in the 6th century AD, it is now one of the best preserved in the Valley.
*[[Temple of Juno, Agrigento|Temple of Juno]], also built in the 5th century BC. It was burnt in 406 BC by the [[Carthaginians]].
*[[Temple of Heracles, Agrigento|Temple of Heracles]], who was one of the most venerated deities in the ancient ''Akragas''. It is the most ancient in the Valley: destroyed by an earthquake, it consists today of only eight columns.
*[[Temple of Olympian Zeus, Agrigento|Temple of Olympian Zeus]], built in 480 BC to celebrate the city-state's victory over Carthage. It is characterized by the use of large-scale [[Atlas (architecture)|atlases]].
*Temple of [[Castor and Pollux]]. Despite its remains including only four columns, it is now the symbol of modern Agrigento.
*Temple of [[Hephaestus]] ([[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]]), also dating from the 5th century BC. It is thought to have been one of the most imposing constructions in the valley; it is now however one of the most eroded.
*Temple of [[Asclepius]], located far from the ancient town's walls; it was the goal of pilgrims seeking cures for illness.

The Valley is also home to the so-called Tomb of [[Theron of Akragas|Theron]], a large [[tuff]] monument of pyramidal shape; scholars suppose it was built to commemorate the Romans killed in the [[Second Punic War]].

===Poseidonia and Elea===
{{main|Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni}}
[[File:Velia Excavation and Tower.jpg|thumb|Remains of the ancient Greek city of [[Velia|Elea]]]]

[[Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni|Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park]] ([[Italian language|Italian]] ''Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni'') is an [[List of National Parks of Italy|Italian national park]] in the [[Province of Salerno]], in [[Campania]] in southern Italy. It includes much of the [[Cilento]], the [[Vallo di Diano]] and the [[Monti Alburni]]. It was founded in 1991, and was formerly known as the Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano. In 1998 it became a [[World Heritage Site]] of [[UNESCO]],<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/842 Info on whc.unesco.org]</ref> along with the ancient Greek towns of [[Paestum|Poseidonia]], [[Velia|Elea]] and the [[Padula]]{{efn|Municipality not included in the park but part of Vallo di Diano region.}} [[Certosa di Padula|Charterhouse]].

Much of the most celebrated features of the [[Paestum|Poseidonia]] site today are the three large temples in the Archaic version of the Greek [[Doric order]], dating from about 550 to 450 BC. All are typical of the period,{{efn|Indeed, they very often are used to illustrate the style in architectural books.}} with massive colonnades having a very pronounced [[entasis]] (widening as they go down), and very wide capitals resembling upturned mushrooms. Above the columns, only the [[Temple of Hera (also called of Neptune), Paestum|second Temple of Hera]] retains most of its [[entablature]], the other two having only the [[architrave]] in place. These were dedicated to [[Hera]] and [[Athena]] ([[Juno (mythology)|Juno]] and [[Minerva]] to the Romans), although previously they often have been identified otherwise, following eighteenth-century arguments. The two temples of Hera are right next to each other, while the Temple of Athena is on the other side of the town centre. There were other temples, both Greek and Roman, which are far less well preserved.

Remains of [[Velia|Elea]] walls, with traces of one gate and several towers, of a total length of over three miles, still exist, and belong to three different periods, in all of which the crystalline limestone of the locality is used. Bricks were also employed in later times; their form is peculiar to this place, each having two rectangular channels on one side, and being about 1.5 inches square, with a thickness of nearly 4 inches They all bear Greek brick-stamps. There are some remains of cisterns on the site, and, various other traces of buildings.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Velia|volume=27|page=978|first=Thomas|last=Ashby|author-link=Thomas Ashby (archaeologist)}}</ref>

===Syracuse===
{{main|Syracuse, Sicily}}
[[File:SIRACUSA VISTA DALLAEREO CON LETNA SULLO SFONDO.FOTO Di Angelo.jpg|thumb|[[Ortygia]] island, where [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] was founded in [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] times]]

[[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] was founded in 733&nbsp;BC by Greek settlers from [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]] and [[Tenea]], led by the ''[[oecist]]'' (colonizer) [[Archias of Corinth|Archias]]. There are many attested variants of the name of the city including {{lang|grc|Συράκουσαι}} ''Syrakousai'', {{lang|grc|Συράκοσαι}} ''Syrakosai'' and {{lang|grc|Συρακώ}} ''Syrakō''. In the modern day, the city is listed by [[UNESCO]] as a [[World Heritage Site]] along with the [[Necropolis of Pantalica]].

The buildings of Syracuse from the Greek period are:
* The city walls
* The [[Temple of Apollo (Syracuse)|Temple of Apollo]], at Piazza Emanuele Pancali, adapted to a church in Byzantine times and to a mosque under Arab rule.
* The [[Fountain of Arethusa]], on Ortygia island. According to a legend, the [[nymph]] [[Arethusa (mythology)|Arethusa]], hunted by [[Alpheus (mythology)|Alpheus]], was turned into a spring by [[Artemis]] and appeared here.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cord|first=David|title=The Spring of Arethusa |date=2023|pages=7–9}}</ref>
* The [[Greek Theatre of Syracuse]], whose [[cavea]] is one of the largest ever built by the ancient Greeks: it has 67 rows, divided into nine sections with eight aisles. Only traces of the scene and the orchestra remain. The edifice (still used today) was modified by the Romans, who adapted it to their different style of spectacles, including circus games. Near the theatre are the ''latomìe'', stone quarries, also used as prisons in ancient times. The most famous ''latomìa'' is the ''[[Ear of Dionysius|Orecchio di Dionisio]]'' ("Ear of Dionysius").
* The Tomb of Archimede, in the Grotticelli Necropolis. Decorated with two Doric columns.
* The Temple of Olympian [[Zeus]], about {{convert|3|km|0|abbr=off}} outside the city, built around the 6th century BC.