Paestum - Temple of Hera

Opposite the entrance to the Zona Archeologica is the magnificent Temple of Hera (misnamed Temple of Neptune), a consummate example of the mature, strictly disciplined architecture of the fifth century B.C., reflecting the Greek ideal of harmony and proportion. The stone is a porous limestone to which the passage of time has given a beautiful yellow tone. At the east end of the temple the tip of an earlier oval structure emerges from the ground. 10m/11yd east are the remains of the sacrificial altar associated with the temple.