Museo archeologico di Pithecusae
Archaeological museum in the 18th-century Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno, with finds from ancient Pithecusae, including the famous Coppa di Nestore.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum tells the story of Pithecusae, the settlement founded around the middle of the 8th century BC by Greek colonists from Euboea, which the site presents as the oldest Greek settlement in the western Mediterranean. Excavations, begun in the 1950s, were directed by the archaeologist Giorgio Buchner.
The museum was opened in 1999 by the Soprintendenza archeologica per le province di Napoli e Caserta (archaeological heritage authority for the provinces of Naples and Caserta) and the municipality of Lacco Ameno, which bought Villa Arbusto for this purpose. The display was curated by Buchner with the support of Costanza Gialanella, then an official of the Soprintendenza. The 18th-century villa, formerly owned by the entrepreneur Angelo Rizzoli, stands on a panoramic hill opposite the Monte di Vico promontory, where the acropolis of Pithecusae was located.
The nine rooms trace, in chronological and thematic order, the geology and volcanic phenomena that shaped the island's life, the finds that predate the arrival of the Greeks, the first settlement and necropolis, the votive deposit of horses (stipe dei cavalli), the necropolises of the 6th–4th centuries BC, architectural decorations, and materials from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Among the best-known pieces are the Cratere del naufragio (Shipwreck Krater), with an exceptional figured scene, and the Coppa di Nestore (Nestor's Cup), with inscriptions in the Euboean alphabet that recall the cup described in the Iliad.
Highlights
- Coppa di Nestore with inscription in the Euboean alphabet
- Cratere del naufragio, of local production
- Materials from the San Montano necropolis
- Votive deposit of horses and architectural decorations of the 6th–4th centuries BC
- Room dedicated to the island's geology
- Villa Arbusto and its panoramic garden
- Founded
- 1999
- Visitors per year
- approx. 8,615
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6Students aged 14 to 18 and university students |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Free admission up to age 5; €3 for children aged 6 to 13. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for people with disabilities. |
| Students & apprentices | €6Students aged 14 to 18 and university students. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €6 per personReduced rate for groups of at least 15 people. |
| Island residents | €3 |
| Supplement for use of the laboratory | €1 |
Free admission also for licensed guides during professional work and for journalists.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Negombo
Two entrances: the pedestrian one on Corso Angelo Rizzoli and the vehicle one on Via Circumvallazione, where the bus stop “Negombo” is located.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Bookshop on the ground floor of Villa Arbusto with books on the island's history, Greek literature and figures linked to the island, brochures and guides; it opens with the same hours as the museum. Multimedia room with a video on the island's Greek history.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Photographing the finds for personal use is permitted, without flash, tripods or telescopic poles; professional filming requires authorisation from the Soprintendenza. |
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| Good to know | The route through the rooms is one-way. Food and drink may not be brought into the rooms; only small animals are admitted, on a lead and muzzled. The multimedia room shows a video on the history of Pithecusa and Villa Arbusto. |
