Museo Civico Aufidenate

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1898 under the name Museo Aufidenate, at the wish of the mayor, Clemente Marchionna, at a time when local scholars, including Vincenzo Balzano and Antonio De Nino, were trying to establish where ancient Aufidena stood and wanted to bring together in one place the finds discovered in the area.

The present seat is the former convent of the Maddalena, on the outskirts of Castel di Sangro, built in the 15th century and inhabited by the Minori Conventuali until 1878. It was later used as a school and then as a prison, especially during the Second World War. Restored at the end of the 1990s, it housed the new museum, which opened in 1999. The Renaissance cloister and the Baroque church have been very well preserved.

The museum holds the historic De Nino collection, with prehistoric finds, vases, ceramics and Samnite materials, and a medieval collection from the 11th to the 15th century with finds from churches. The route spans nine permanent rooms and also includes the Museo internazionale della pesca a mosca (International Fly-Fishing Museum), a War Museum dedicated to the Gustav Line, a botanical garden and the cloister.

Highlights

• De Nino historic collection with prehistoric and Samnite finds
• Statue of the Aufidena bull, symbol of the museum
• Medieval collection with a polychrome statue of Saint Michael the Archangel
• International Fly-Fishing Museum
• War Museum on the Gustav defensive line
• Fifteenth-century cloister with Renaissance frescoes and botanical garden

Permanent exhibition

• Collezione De Nino e sezione medievale – Nine permanent rooms with prehistoric, Italic and Roman finds, the medieval collection from the 11th to the 15th century, the Fly-Fishing Museum and the War Museum.

Founded

1898

Operated by

Archeoclub APS (gestione); Comune di Castel di Sangro

Director

Mario Rainaldi

Visitors per year

approx. 3,800

Admission & discounts

The reduced ticket also applies to groups and school groups.

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 cloister hosts cultural events and performances.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The museum can host events in the cloister and rooms: private celebrations (for example civil weddings) from €250 per hour, cultural events from €50 per hour, corporate events from €100 per hour, presentations and publications from €50 per hour.