A place of myths …
… and legends
The Cilento region can trace its history back to days long past, when tales of sirens and heroes were born. Let’s discover this mythical land together!
The Cilento region has been inspiring poets and writers since time immemorial. Many of the Greek and Roman legends that characterise our culture were set on our coast. The most famous myth of all is certainly the island of the sirens from the Odyssey. The islet that inspired Homer was probably the one found in front of Punta Licosa, a short distance from our hotels in Palinuro. Legend has it that Ulysses had himself tied to the mast so that he could listen to the bewitching siren song. Another important myth relates to Palinurus, the helmsman of Aeneas. During the journey towards the coast of Lazio, Palinurus fell into the sea and fought against the furious waves for three days. Just as he was pulling himself to safety, he was killed by the inhabitants of that place: From then on, the headland has been called the Cape of Palinuro. Another myth concerns Jason and the Argonauts, who, after fleeing from Colchis, stopped at the sanctuary of the goddess Hera at the mouth of the Sele river to gain favour, where the ancient Hera of Argo sanctuary of Magna Grecia is found today. So, do you see why the Cilento region is called the land of myths?
The Cilento region can trace its history back to days long past, when tales of sirens and heroes were born. Let’s discover this mythical land together!
The Cilento region has been inspiring poets and writers since time immemorial. Many of the Greek and Roman legends that characterise our culture were set on our coast. The most famous myth of all is certainly the island of the sirens from the Odyssey. The islet that inspired Homer was probably the one found in front of Punta Licosa, a short distance from our hotels in Palinuro. Legend has it that Ulysses had himself tied to the mast so that he could listen to the bewitching siren song. Another important myth relates to Palinurus, the helmsman of Aeneas. During the journey towards the coast of Lazio, Palinurus fell into the sea and fought against the furious waves for three days. Just as he was pulling himself to safety, he was killed by the inhabitants of that place: From then on, the headland has been called the Cape of Palinuro. Another myth concerns Jason and the Argonauts, who, after fleeing from Colchis, stopped at the sanctuary of the goddess Hera at the mouth of the Sele river to gain favour, where the ancient Hera of Argo sanctuary of Magna Grecia is found today. So, do you see why the Cilento region is called the land of myths?
