VELIA/ELEA - ASCEA
General information:
Province: Salerno
Inhabited since the Neolitical period, the Velia territory has been colonized by the Focesi, wich arrived in the 6th c.B.C.
In 546 B.C., they escaped from the Focea’s siege (antique city of Asia Minor) and they refugated in Sardinia where they had founded the colony of Alalia.
Defeated by the Etruschi, the Focesi arrived on the territory by the Alento River, and acquired from the Enotri the right to settle themselves in Velia, reported by Plato as Elea. The colony was circled by long walls beyond eight kilometers and was provided of two towers on the sides of a door.
The excavations have brought to light a big thermal stucture in the 2nd century, an urban city from the Roman Age and a basilica, probably paleo-christian.
Besides, it was also founded a portico from the 1st century B.C.
Because of the nice climate that made it the favourite holiday place of the rich people and the famous men, through them even Cicero, Velia built its fortune essentially on commerce and seafaring activities.
In the 3rd century B.C. and in year 62’, the city has gone threw devasting floods, but the most desastrous was the one of the 5th century that filled the meridional residential area with earth, and provoked the disappearance of the paleo-christian basilica. 
With the approach of the Lomgobard army, the Velia’s inhabitants deserted the antique part of the city, and they went back to this part only after the Christian conversion of the invadors.
Since then, many italian-greek monks came to Velia and they didn’t hesitate to take important marble fragments to build their own houses and the San Quiricio Church.
Today, the most important voice of the economy of the place is tourism, active above all at Marina di Ascea.
Nevertheless, what attracts visitors in this locality, it’s not only the beauty of the sea but also the wealth of the archeological patrimony and the high level of the receptive structures.
The other important economic resource is agriculture, which the principal products are olive oil and chestnuts.
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