Museo e Parco archeologico dell'antica Kaulon
Museum built around the archaeological park “Paolo Orsi”, with the remains of ancient Kaulon, the dragon mosaic and silver coins of the Magna Graecia city.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum of Monasterace, or the Archaeological Museum of ancient Kaulon, grew up around the archaeological park “Paolo Orsi”, which preserves the remains of the ancient Magna Graecia city of Kaulon. Since December 2014 it has been managed by the Ministry of Culture through the Polo museale della Calabria, which became the Direzione regionale Musei in December 2019.
The rooms house finds and artefacts from the ancient city. Particularly notable are the remains of a temple whose dimensions are unknown, attributable to three building phases, with a sima formed of polychrome slabs and fine gutters with lion-head spouts.
Among the best-known pieces is the dragon mosaic, recently restored, from the so-called House of the Dragon: a floor of polychrome tesserae depicting a sea monster, dating to the 3rd century BC and considered among the oldest mosaics so far found in Calabria. One section is devoted to coins: Kaulon was the first city in the world to mint silver coins, using silver from the inland valley of the Stilaro.
Highlights
- Remains of the temple with polychrome sima and lion-head gutters
- Dragon mosaic from the House of the Dragon (3rd century BC)
- Silver coins of Kaulon
- Paolo Orsi archaeological park with the remains of the Magna Graecia city
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione archeologica di Kaulon – Finds from the temple, the dragon mosaic and the silver coins of the Magna Graecia city, with the Paolo Orsi archaeological park.
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Calabria (Ministero della Cultura)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2 |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month (free admission to state cultural sites)
Full ticket €4, reduced €2. Guided tours with archaeologists offered on some summer evenings are included in the admission ticket.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | In summer, evening guided tours with archaeologists are offered, departing from the museum entrance and included in the ticket. |
