Cilento
Cilento is a mountainous coastal region in the southern part of the province of Salerno, Campania, southern Italy. Defined by the Cilento mountain range, it stretches between the Tyrrhenian coast and the interior highlands, encompassing ancient Greek colonies, medieval hilltop villages, pristine beaches, and dramatic limestone gorges. Since 1998 the area has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site — together with the Vallo di Diano and the ancient sites of Paestum, Velia and the Certosa di Padula — for its exceptional combination of natural landscape and the archaeological evidence of more than three millennia of continuous human settlement.
At a glance
- Type
- Mountain range and geographical region; UNESCO World Heritage Site (1998)
- Period
- Inhabited since antiquity; Greek colonies from 6th century BC; medieval settlements from 9th–10th century AD
- Style
- Natural landscape; archaeological heritage; vernacular hill village architecture
- Location
- Southern province of Salerno, Campania, Italy
- Coordinates
- 40.2287° N, 15.2554° E
Overview
Cilento is one of the most biodiverse and archaeologically rich areas of southern Italy, forming a natural bridge between the Tyrrhenian coast and the Apennine interior. The region is best known internationally for Paestum, whose three Doric temples are among the best-preserved ancient Greek structures in the world, and for the Certosa di Padula, a vast Carthusian monastery and one of the largest in Italy. The Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, established in 1991, protects the landscape and serves as the administrative framework for the UNESCO designation.
History
Greek settlers founded the colony of Poseidonia (later Paestum) around 600 BC on the coastal plain of Cilento, and built a second important city at Velia (Elea) further south around 540 BC. These cities were major centres of Magna Graecia, and Elea gave its name to the Eleatic school of philosophy associated with Parmenides and Zeno. After Roman conquest and eventual decline, Cilento’s interior was repopulated during the early Middle Ages by communities retreating from coastal raids, establishing the characteristic pattern of fortified hilltop villages that still define the landscape. The region remained largely isolated until the 20th century, which paradoxically preserved its natural and built heritage.
What you see
The Cilento landscape ranges from craggy limestone peaks and deep river gorges to long sandy beaches and crystal-clear sea. The coastal town of Acciaroli, the hilltop village of Castellabate, and the gorges of the Calore river are among the most striking natural features. The archaeological park of Paestum contains three monumental Doric temples (6th–5th century BC) in extraordinary states of preservation, alongside a rich museum of Greek and Lucanian artefacts. The Certosa di Padula — nicknamed “La Certosa” — is a Baroque monastery of immense scale, featuring a grand staircase, cloisters, and church interiors decorated in elaborate 18th-century style.
Cultural significance
The Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni UNESCO designation recognises the region as a cultural landscape of outstanding universal value, where the interaction between human settlement and the natural environment has produced an exceptional testimony to the cultures of Magna Graecia and medieval southern Italy. The area is also a living embodiment of the Mediterranean diet — a concept partly formalised here through the research of American nutritionist Ancel Keys, who settled in Cilento in the 1960s and documented the dietary habits of its longevity-famous population.
Practical information
- Key sites
- Paestum Archaeological Park; Certosa di Padula; Castellabate; Acciaroli; Grotte di Castelcivita
- National Park
- Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni — visitor centres in Vallo della Lucania and other towns
- Best season
- April–June and September–October for hiking and heritage sites; July–August for the coast
Getting there
The main gateway by train is Salerno, served by high-speed Frecciarossa and regional trains from Naples (35 minutes) and Rome (2.5 hours). From Salerno, regional trains and buses reach Agropoli, Paestum and other Cilento towns. By car, the A3 motorway (Salerno–Reggio Calabria) provides exits to the Cilento interior; the coastal SS18 runs the length of the Tyrrhenian shore.