Castello Beccadelli Bologna – Museo della Valle dell'Eleuterio

Sixteenth-century castle of Marineo housing the archaeological museum of the Valle dell’Eleuterio, with finds from Makella; free admission.

Opening hoursFree admission

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About the museum

The castle of Marineo was built in the mid-16th century by the Bologna family and develops over several levels to suit the terrain: the ground floor housed storerooms for agricultural produce, while the piano nobile (main floor) has large halls, some with decorations still preserved. Acquired by the Regione Siciliana, it has housed the archaeological museum of the Valle dell’Eleuterio since 2003.

The museum displays material from the excavations at the Montagnola di Marineo, the ancient indigenous city of Makella, and more generally from the settlements along the Eleuterio river, a route linking the Tyrrhenian coast with the interior. Among the finds mentioned are bronze war helmets, bronze greaves, an ivory plaque with a crouching ram and a votive deposit from the late 6th century BC.

The castle is part of a network of sites managed by the Parco archeologico di Himera, Solunto e Iato.

Highlights

Sixteenth-century castle of the Bologna family
Finds from the indigenous city of Makella (Montagnola di Marineo)
Bronze helmets and greaves from the votive deposit
Ivory plaque with a crouching ram
Free admission

Permanent exhibition

Museo archeologico della Valle dell'Eleuterio – Finds from ancient Makella and from the settlements of the Eleuterio valley, including helmets, greaves, an ivory plaque and material from the votive deposit.

Founded: 2003
Operated by: Parco archeologico di Himera, Solunto e Iato (Regione Siciliana)
Visitors per year: approx. 2,334