The archaeological park of the Greek city famous for its luxury
In the plain at the mouth of the Crati river, on the Ionian coast of northern Calabria, lie the remains of Sybaris, one of the richest and most powerful cities of Magna Graecia, founded around 720 BC by Greek colonists from Achaea. Thanks to the fertile plain, trade and its port, Sybaris became so prosperous that its inhabitants became legendary throughout the ancient world for their love of luxury and pleasure: it was said that they had banned noisy trades from the city so as not to disturb their sleep, and that they invited women to banquets a year in advance so they could prepare their clothes. From their name comes the word "sybarite", still used today for a person devoted to comfort and refinement. In 510 BC, Sybaris was defeated and destroyed by its rival Croton, whose army, according to tradition, diverted the Crati to submerge the city.
On the site, the Athenians founded Thurii in 444 BC, with the participation, it is said, of the historian Herodotus, and later the Romans founded the colony of Copia. The Parco Archeologico di Sibari shows the overlapping layers of these cities, with streets, houses, baths and a semicircular theatre, mostly of the Roman period, as the Greek city lies deeper, below the water table. Nearby, the Museo Nazionale Archeologico della Sibaritide displays finds from the area, including the bronze bull of Sybaris and objects from the necropolises of the plain. The park, damaged by a flood of the Crati in 2013, has since been restored.
Tip: visit the museum first, then the park; combine Sibari with Rossano and the Codex Purpureus.
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