In 1903, he was appointed Royal Honorary Inspector for the monuments and excavations of the Municipality of Montepeloso. His passion for antiquity led him to collect a large number of archaeological artifacts and preserve them in the family palace. The archaeological collection, subject to restriction by the Ministry of Public Education for its important significance already in 1948, was purchased by the Municipality of Irsina in 1981 as a heritage for the entire community.
The over 1600 artifacts, mostly coming from necropolises or individual tombs scattered along the eastern belts of Basilicata and the north-western part of Puglia, testify to the life of the city and territory since the Neolithic.
The most important core of the collection consists of pottery with geometric decoration, red-figure, black-gloss, achrome, weapons and ornaments in bronze and iron dating from the prehistoric age to the Hellenistic period. From the entire collection, a selection of about 300 artifacts specially studied and restored is exhibited.
The scientific and exhibition project of the Museum, which occupies six rooms in the left wing of the San Francesco convent, has allowed the creation of a chronological-thematic path starting from prehistory and ending with the Hellenistic age.
Information about the Civic Museum “Michele Janora” – Archaeological Museum of the Lucanian Territory
Piazza San Francesco, 8 75022 Irsina (Matera)
Tel. 0835.518330 – Email: arenacea@tiscali.it
