The MArTa Museum

The National Archaeological Museum of Taranto is undoubtedly one of the most important archaeological museums in the world. Established in 1887, it occupies part of the eighteenth-century convent of the Alcantarini, as well as other buildings from later periods. The museum was set up using two floors and a mezzanine in which are kept the paintings from the private collection that belonged to Bishop Ricciardi (and linked to the structure by a testamentary bequest)

The exhibition itinerary starts from the highest floor with the prehistoric collections and then, following a chronological criterion, ends with the archaeological evidence of the early Middle Ages.

In addition to the prehistoric collections of absolute interest, the structure houses important finds from the Greek and Roman era, which are the result of over a century of archaeological research in Puglia.

The famous “Ori di Taranto” are dated back to the Hellenistic period: these jewels prove the existence of a refined goldsmith craftsmanship in the city. The showcases are filled with thickly decorated vases, coins, statues and precious items that tell us about the glorious past of the city.

The many mosaics along the corridors and in the halls of the exhibition space belong to the Roman age, whose itinerary ends with the showcases that preserve the chronological finds of the early medieval phase.