Velia is an ancient town of Lucania (present Basilicata), Italy, on the hill now crowned by the medieval castle of Castellainmare della Bruca, 440 ft. above sea-level, on the S.W. coast, 1--3/4 m. N.W. of the modern railway station of Asca, 25 m. S.E. of Paestum.

Remains of the city walls, with traces of one gate and several towers, of a total length of over 3 m., still exist, and belong to three different periods, in all of which the crystalline limestone of the locality is used. Bricks were also employed in later times; their form is peculiar to this place, each having two rectangular channels on one side, and being about 1.5 in. square, with a thickness of nearly 4 in. They all bear Greek brick-stamps. There are some remains of cisterns on the site, and, various other traces of buildings.

About 530 B.C. the Phocaeans, driven from Corsica, seized it from the Oenctrians. Its coins were widely diffused in S. Italy, and it kept its independence even in Roman times, and only became a municipium after the Social War

Aegimus