Metaponto is a fraction of the town of Bernalda.
Its name comes from the Latin Metapontum, as city "between two rivers", the Bradano and the Basento, in the heart of Magna Grecia.

Between sea, nature and archaeology stands what is considered one of the most popular destinations of Basilicata, both for the crystal clear water of the Ionian Sea, and for the archaeological and naturalistic routes it offers.

METAPONTUM: BETWEEN HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Metaponto is also proud of a long and ancient history that is worth discovering.
Not far from the town, in fact, there is the archaeological area that, together with the National Archaeological Museum, is one of the most popular sites for tourists.

The archaeological area of Metaponto is an open-air museum.
It is a must for all lovers of history and archaeology because it is the best place to understand the historical evolution of the area in the Bronze Age until the advent of Roman domination.

Founded in the mid-seventh century b.C. by Greeks from Achaia, Metapontum became one of the most important colonies of Magna Graecia.

In the Park and in the Archaeological Museum of Metapontum are imprinted traces of a glorious past: this is the case of the mathematician Pythagoras, who founded his school in Metapontum and perhaps died there.

The richness of the Greek colony, whose symbols are the monumental Tavole Palatine (twelve Doric columns, ruins of the Temple of Hera) is based on the extension and fertility of the territory bounded by the rivers Bradano and Basento.

The antiquarium, the theater, the Roman castro, the agora and the necropolis, together with the temples of Apollo Licio, Demeter and Aphrodite, enrich the route full of charm and history.