Museo Archeologico Nazionale e Castello di Gioia del Colle
The National Archaeological Museum in the Norman-Swabian castle, with the Peucetian finds from Monte Sannace and Santo Mola.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The castle of Gioia del Colle stands on a dominant position, about 360 metres above sea level. Its oldest nucleus, the rectangular limestone enclosure of the north wing, dates from the Byzantine period. In the Norman age it was enlarged and turned into a feudal stronghold; the earliest known mention dates from 1108. Around 1230 Frederick II rebuilt it as an almost square fortress with four corner towers, following the model of his castles.
After Manfred’s defeat at Benevento in 1266 the castle passed to the Angevins and then to the Aragonese, and later to local princes and counts; from the 17th century it lost its military function and began to decline. Restorations were carried out between 1907 and 1909 and, after the State purchased it in 1955, between 1969 and 1974. Popular tradition links the castle to the memory of Bianca Lancia, but this is a legend.
Since 1977 the castle has housed the National Archaeological Museum, whose origins are tied to the finds from the 1929 excavations at Monte Sannace and to the large campaigns of 1957-1961, to which materials from Santo Mola and other finds have been added. The main display presents Peucetian material from the 7th to the 2nd century BC: grave goods, domestic vessels and Attic, Ionian and Corinthian imports.
Highlights
- Cratere di Memnon, Corinthian black-figure krater
- Gorgon-head antefix from the acropolis of Monte Sannace
- Tintinnabulum in the shape of a boar with a warrior, from tomb 40
- Peucetian grave goods from the 7th to the 2nd century BC
- Norman-Swabian castle in a dominant position
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione archeologica peuceta – Material from the sites of Monte Sannace and Santo Mola, with grave goods, vessels and Greek imports from the 7th to the 2nd century BC.
- Founded
- 1977
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Puglia (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 7,454
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2young people aged 18 to 25 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s, in line with the rules of state museums. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of the month (“Domenica al museo”).
Booking by e-mail is optional.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A museum information portal indicates access for visitors with disabilities, without details.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours and educational activities are advertised. The website publishes a floor plan and the Carta dei Servizi (service charter). |
