Museo etnografico Alfredo Majorano
Ethnographic collection on the traditions of Taranto, including magical-religious ritual, ceramics and votive offerings, in the 18th-century Palazzo Pantaleo.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum holds the ethnographic collection of Alfredo Majorano (Taranto, 1902–1984), playwright and scholar of the popular traditions of Taranto. Majorano steadily gathered objects of traditional life and oral testimonies, including recordings of the pizzica from the 1950s, with a particular interest in the magical and religious rituals of farmers and fishermen of the Taranto area. In 2002 his widow, Elena Spinelli, in keeping with her husband’s wishes, donated the collection now on display to the Comune di Taranto.
The seat is Palazzo Pantaleo, in the Città Vecchia, near the tourist harbor: a noble residence built between 1770 and 1773 for Francesco Maria Pantaleo, one of the few 18th-century residences in Taranto to have remained intact, with a balconied façade of wrought iron overlooking the Mar Grande, painted ceilings and majolica floors. The palazzo is now the representative seat of the municipal administration; the museum occupies the rooms of the second piano nobile.
The route is divided into sections: the room of documentary reproductions with a model of the Città Vecchia, the ceramics room, the room of festive games and toys, the room of nativity scenes and votive offerings, Majorano’s study, the room of agricultural and fishing tools, and the room of magical-religious ritual, which also refers to the phenomenon of tarantism.
Highlights
- Model of Taranto’s Città Vecchia with terracotta puppets
- Ceramics and majolica from Taranto, Grottaglie and Laterza
- Nativity scenes, votive offerings and ritual sweets in terracotta
- Festive toys and the puppets of Orlando and Rinaldo
- Documents and recordings on tarantism and the pizzica
- 18th-century Palazzo Pantaleo with painted ceilings
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione etnografica Alfredo Majorano – Seven sections on the traditions of Taranto and the Ionian area: ceramics, games, nativity scenes, votive offerings, work tools and magical-religious ritual.
- Founded
- 2002
- Operated by
- Comune di Taranto
- Director
- Antonio Basile
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.50under 18s and adults over 70 |
| Children & teens | €1.50free up to age 5 · Under 18s: reduced ticket; free admission under 6. School groups €1 per student. |
| Seniors | €1.50Adults over 70: reduced ticket. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for companions of people with disabilities. |
| Groups | €1.50 per personGroup ticket for the museum and the guided tour of Palazzo Pantaleo; school groups €1 per student. |
| Museum plus guided tour of Palazzo Pantaleo | €2.50 |
Rates published by the Comune di Taranto for booking visits; payment is made on the spot on the day of the visit.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The Comune di Taranto’s entry for Palazzo Pantaleo lists the absence of architectural barriers.
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 museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The guided tour starts in the 18th-century palazzo and continues with the ethnographic collection; thematic tours are also planned. The museum offers educational activities for groups and schools of every level. Info and bookings: 333 371 6581, 338 500 9239. |
