MArTA – Museo archeologico nazionale di Taranto
One of Italy's leading archaeological museums: it presents ancient Greek Taranto and ancient Apulia with the Ori di Taranto, the Tomba dell'Atleta and Magna Graecia ceramics.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum was founded in 1887 to collect the archaeological evidence of the Taranto area. Today it is housed in the former convent of San Pasquale di Baylon, an eighteenth-century building, extended with works inaugurated in 1963. In 2000 the museum closed for a major restoration, during which only part of the display remained open at Palazzo Pantaleo; it reopened on 20 December 2007 with a new display. Since 2014 it has been a state museum with special autonomy.
The route extends over several floors. The first floor houses the Graeco-Roman section, with marble sculptures, ceramics from the Taranto necropolises, goldwork and a section devoted to the aristocracy of Taranto; the second floor illustrates prehistory and protohistory, from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. The museum also holds the Ricciardi collection, with mainly religious paintings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Among the best-known finds are the Ori di Taranto, the Tomba dell'Atleta from the 5th century BC, the bronze Zeus di Ugento and the sculptural group Orfeo e le Sirene, which returned to Italy in 2023. The vase collection includes kylikes and a volute krater with a scene of the Underworld.
Highlights
- Ori di Taranto, the jewellery collection of the Magna Graecia city
- Tomba dell'Atleta (5th century BC)
- Bronze Zeus di Ugento
- Sculptural group Orfeo e le Sirene, returned to Italy in 2023
- Magna Graecia ceramics, including a volute krater with a scene of the Underworld
- Prehistory section from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age
- Founded
- 1887
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura (museo statale ad autonomia speciale)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 62,582 (2022)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Young people aged 18 to 25. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s. |
| Single “My MArTA” pass (25–64 years) | €15Valid for 12 months, personal; the companion pays half price (€4) per entry. A second pass costs €12. |
| “Family MArTA” pass (two adults and up to 5 minors) | €22Valid for 12 months. |
| “Young MArTA” pass (18–25 years) | €6Valid for 12 months. |
| “Forever Young +65 MArTA” pass | €12Valid for 12 months. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of every month.
Online tickets via Aditus Culture (bookings: +39 011 1927 2866). Further exemptions and reductions according to legislation and agreements.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Ramps and lifts give access to the museum's spaces; accessible toilets are on the ground floor and the first floor. A wheelchair is available at the entrance. Tactile routes and itineraries for special needs are planned and must be booked.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The museum offers a “Per tutta la famiglia” (for the whole family) programme and the Family MArTA pass.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
The museum can be reached on foot from the central railway station and the coach station (Porto Mercantile). Urban buses 1/2, 3, 8, 14, 16, 20, 21A, 27C and 28C run from Piazza della Libertà (west side) to Via Regina Margherita.
By car: S.S. 7 Taranto–Brindisi, S.S. 106 from Reggio Calabria; from the north-west, take the Massafra exit on the A14 and the Taranto–Massafra link road towards the S.S. 7. The museum is at Via Cavour 10, near Corso Umberto I and Piazza Garibaldi. Nearest airports: Bari-Palese and Brindisi-Casale.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Bookshop on the ground floor, at the ticket office.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Educational visits and itineraries for special needs are planned, by booking. |
