AUR Art History students explored the ancient ruins of Paestum on a recent sunny February day as part of the course Sacred Space: Religious Architecture of Rome, led by Professor Davor Dzalto.
Paestum, about three hours from Rome, was a major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Magna Graecia (southern Italy). Its ruins are famous for three ancient Greek temples in the Doric order, dating from about 600 to 450 BC. The city walls and amphitheater are largely intact, and the bottom of the walls of many other structures remain, along with paved roads.
This class introduced students to the similarities and differences between Greek and Roman temples, religious ideas (such as the concept of sacrifice), rituals, and the relationship between the sacred space and the social and political spheres.
Students also visited the Archeological Museum and were granted special permission to rooms generally closed to the public.
