Museo Civico Archeologico 'Antonio De Nino'
Archaeological museum of Corfinio, the ancient Corfinium, capital of the Italic League, in a 17th-century palazzo in the medieval village, with Paeligni finds and a lapidarium.
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About the museum
The museum is housed in the medieval village of Corfinio, in a 17th-century aristocratic palazzo of the Trippitelli family restored for the purpose, and opened in 2005. It is dedicated to Antonio De Nino (1833–1907), a scholar of the archaeology and history of Abruzzo, who from 1877 conducted excavations at Corfinio and in 1878 set up, in the oratory of Sant'Alessandro next to the basilica of San Pelino, the town's first archaeological museum, with a collection that grew to around 6,000 pieces.
The display was looted during the German occupation in the Second World War and then reassembled in the episcopal palace; after further thefts in the 1960s and 1970s the Soprintendenza (heritage authority) decided to close the museum and move the collection to Chieti. With the opening of the civic museum in 2005 the collections returned to Corfinio and were enriched with finds from the excavation campaigns of the 1980s and 1990s.
The route tells the history of the Valle Peligna from prehistory to the Roman age, with particular attention to Corfinium, capital of the Italic League during the Social War (91–88 BC), where the name “Italia” first appeared on a silver coin. A separate building modelled on a Roman house with an impluvium houses the lapidarium, with inscriptions in Latin and in the Paeligni dialect. The museum is run by the Pro Loco di Corfinio.
Highlights
- Finds of the Paeligni and the city of Corfinium
- Lapidarium with Latin and Paeligni dialect inscriptions
- Memorial to the coin bearing the name “Italia”
- Collection from the excavations of Antonio De Nino
- 17th-century palazzo in the medieval village
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione archeologica di Corfinium – Finds from prehistory to the Roman age from the excavations of Corfinio and the Valle Peligna, with the lapidarium of Latin and Paeligni inscriptions.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Comune di Corfinio (gestione Pro Loco di Corfinio)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 2,500
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Students & apprentices | €5School group rate per student. |
| Groups | €6 per personRate per person for groups. |
| Lapidarium | €4 |
| Single ticket Beni Culturali Corfinio (museum, lapidarium and archaeological parks) | €15Groups €10, school groups €6. |
Rates listed on the museum's website: civic archaeological museum €8 (groups €6, school groups €5); lapidarium €4; Parco archeologico Piano S. Giacomo €5; Parco archeologico Via Corfiniense €3.
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
Train: Pratola Peligna station (Rome–Pescara line, about 5 km) or Raiano station (L'Aquila–Sulmona line, about 3 km).
By car: A25 motorway Rome–Pescara, Pratola Peligna exit, then about 3 km; or State Road 17 from L'Aquila or Naples. Corfinio is about 10 km from Sulmona, 55 km from L'Aquila and 65 km from Pescara.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Explanatory leaflets and audio guides are available in the museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours available; illustrated brochures and audio guides in the museum. Booking through the Pro Loco di Corfinio. |
