Museo archeologico nazionale di Sperlonga
State museum built beside the Grotta di Tiberio to house the Homeric sculpture groups found in the imperial villa of Sperlonga.
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About the museum
The museum was built specifically to house the monumental sculpture groups that were found in fragments at the end of the 1950s in the grotto of a vast Roman residence, traditionally identified as the villa of the emperor Tiberius. It stands near the Villa di Tiberio, along the Via Flacca, in the province of Latina, and is run by the Ministry of Culture.
At the beginning of the imperial age the grotto was transformed into a mythological landscape, with a large display of Homeric subject matter arranged around and inside a circular basin. Four main groups depicting the exploits of Odysseus have been identified: the blinding of Polyphemus, Scylla's attack on the ship, the theft of the Palladium, and a group that perhaps shows Odysseus with the body of Achilles.
The collection also includes other finds from the villa, mostly sculptures of the 1st century AD: works linked to the gens Iulia, such as the relief of Venus Genetrix, images of deities, imperial portraits and decorative elements. The museum also holds furnishings and small objects, such as Attic vases, architectural terracottas and lamps, which document the life of the site up to the late empire.
Highlights
- Sculpture groups of the exploits of Odysseus from the Grotta di Tiberio
- Blinding of Polyphemus and Scylla's attack on the ship
- Relief of Venus Genetrix and imperial portraits
- Verse inscription by Faustinus celebrating the decoration of the grotto
- Archaeological area of the Villa di Tiberio beside the museum
Permanent exhibition
- Gruppi scultorei della Grotta di Tiberio – Sculptures with Homeric subjects from the grotto of the imperial villa, with the exploits of Odysseus, together with portraits, images of deities and decorative elements of the residence.
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Lazio
- Visitors per year
- approx. 46,433
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2 |
Free admission: First Sunday of every month.
The rates shown come from a listing on a sector portal and should be checked on the day of the visit.
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 | On extraordinary opening days, guided tours are sometimes included in the ticket. For information, you can call the museum's contact numbers. |
