Museo archeologico regionale Paolo Orsi
Large archaeological museum of Syracuse, among the largest in Europe, from prehistory to Roman Syracuse, with the Venere Landolina and the Sarcophagus of Adelfia.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The origins of the museum date back to 1780, when Bishop Alagona inaugurated the Museo del Seminario, which became the Museo Civico at the Archbishopric in 1808. A royal decree of 17 June 1878 established the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Siracusa, which opened on 11 April 1886 in the historic seat in Piazza Duomo.
Luigi Bernabò Brea, superintendent from 1941, wanted a museum rich in panels, captions and reconstructions. Villa Landolina, a 19th-century residence of the family of the same name, was purchased, and in its garden a new building was erected, designed by the architect Franco Minissi; the sections were devised by Bernabò Brea and Gino Vinicio Gentili. The inauguration took place on 16 January 1988. The building, constructed around a central body linking all the sectors, offers two exhibition floors of about 9,000 m² with a cutting-edge educational apparatus. In 2006 the extension devoted to Hellenistic Syracuse was inaugurated, and in 2014 the one that allows visitors to see the Sarcophagus of Adelfia and the finds from the catacombs.
The museum is among the largest in Europe in terms of exhibition space and gathers the results of research on the territory since the late 18th century. On the ground floor are the auditorium and the Medagliere (coin cabinet), with numismatic collections among the most famous in the world; the first floor is devoted to prehistory and the Greek colonies, the second to Hellenistic and Roman Syracuse.
Highlights
- Statue of the Venere Landolina
- Sarcophagus of Adelfia and finds from the catacombs of San Giovanni
- Medagliere with prestigious numismatic collections
- Dea di Grammichele and finds from the Greek sub-colonies
- Route from prehistory to Greek Syracuse
- Pots from Thapsos and tomb doorslabs from Castelluccio
Permanent exhibitions
- Percorso espositivo del museo – The first floor presents the prehistory and protohistory of eastern Sicily, the Greek colonies and Greek Syracuse; the second floor Hellenistic and Roman Syracuse, with the catacombs of San Giovanni.
- Medagliere – Numismatic collections on the ground floor, among the most famous in the world.
- Founded
- 1878
- Operated by
- Parco archeologico e paesaggistico di Siracusa, Eloro, Villa del Tellaro e Akrai
- Visitors per year
- approx. 63,239
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5citizens of the European Union aged 18 to 25 (the same concessions apply to citizens of non-EU countries on condition of reciprocity) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and a companion |
Free admission: First Sunday of every month
Free admission for under-18s, people with disabilities and a companion, EU tour guides and interpreters, ICOM members, EU teachers and school groups accompanied by their teachers (with booking), and other categories set out in regional regulations. Free admission on the first Sunday of every month.
Accessibility
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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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