It is a place with a wealth of history where you will find impressive remains of Ancient Greek Civilization in Southern Italy. The city, founded in the mid- 7thC B.C. by Greeks coming from Achaea, became one of the major colonies of Ancient Greece – Magna Grecia. The Archaeological Park preserves the remains of the urban sanctuary dedicated to Apollo Licius and the adjacent agora (square). The sacred area includes four temples – the most ancient one, dedicated to Athena, founded in the early 6thC B.C.; the temples of Apollo and Hera erected in 570 B.C., all in the Doric style and around 470 B.C., the monumental Ionic temple was built to honour Aphrodite. The town is bounded by an imposing wall dating from the 6thC B.C. and redone in the 4thC B.C. with a series of monumental entrances. From there, the temple known as Tavole Palatine (Palatine Tables) may be discerned. It is dedicated to Hera and was built in the 6thC B.C. in the Doric style to mark the territorial boundaries of this ancient Achaean city. The National Archaeological Museum at Metaponto houses the most significant artifacts unearthed in the area surrounding the ancient city of Metaponto as well as the nearby archaeological site of Incoronata near Pisticci . In its four rooms, there are displays illustrating  prehistoric times, the colonization by the Greeks between the 8th and 7thC     B.C., the integration between the Greeks and the indigenous population, and the Roman era. Metaponto is also a seaside resort boasting a wide sandy beach with establishments catering to holiday-makers and sailing enthusiasts as well as uncontaminated areas for fishing in the vicinity of the mouths of the Bradano e Basento Rivers.