Museo archeologico nazionale del Melfese “Massimo Pallottino”
State museum in the Norman-Swabian castle of Melfi, with archaeological finds from the Vulture-Melfese area and the famous Sarcophagus of Rapolla.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum is housed in the Norman-Swabian castle of Melfi, a building important both for its architecture and for its history linked to Frederick II and later to the Doria family, who held it as a fief for four centuries until 1952. The museum and the castle form a pairing of content and container.
The collections document the archaeology of the Vulture-Melfese area. The classical section presents finds from the 6th to the 3rd centuries BC: Daunian pottery with geometric decoration, Magna Graecia red-figure pottery, large polychrome vases produced at Canosa, bronzes of Greek and Etruscan workmanship, and jewellery in gold, amber and silver. The medieval section ranges from the Norman period to the Renaissance and includes a notable collection of glass with gold and enamel decoration and inscriptions in Arabic script, as well as fine ceramics.
The historical-artistic section, located in the Sala Doria and the Cappella Doria, displays paintings and sculptures of the 16th and 17th centuries that belonged to the Genoese family, along with some period furnishings. The museum's emblematic piece is the Sarcophagus of Rapolla, a masterpiece of Roman sculpture of the imperial age.
Highlights
- Sarcophagus of Rapolla, a masterpiece of Roman sculpture
- Daunian, Magna Graecia and Canosan pottery of the 6th–3rd centuries BC
- Medieval glass collection with inscriptions in Arabic script
- Sala Doria and Cappella Doria with 16th- and 17th-century paintings
- Norman-Swabian castle linked to Frederick II
Permanent exhibitions
- Sezione classica – Finds from the Vulture-Melfese area from the 6th to the 3rd centuries BC, including Daunian and Magna Graecia pottery and Greek and Etruscan bronzes.
- Sezione medievale e storico-artistica – Glass and ceramics from the Norman period to the Renaissance, and paintings and sculptures of the Doria collection in the Sala and the Cappella Doria.
- Operated by
- Musei e parchi archeologici di Melfi e Venosa (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 43,462
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2 |
| Combined ticket for the national archaeological museums of Melfi and Venosa and the Parco archeologico di Venosa | €12Valid for three days from the first entry. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month: free admission.
Since 1 April 2025 the rates are €5 (full) and €2 (reduced).
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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 | Among the museum's services listed are guided tours, a library, a restoration workshop, an educational room, a conference hall, guides and catalogues. |
