The Exhibition Path of the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Salerno
The tour of the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Salerno begins at the Lapidarium, which is located in the open spaces in front of the museum entrance and the adjoining viridarium. Here, visitors can admire statues, reliefs, and honorary bases, most of which originate from Roman Salerno and were unearthed as early as the seventeenth century.
Ground Floor of the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Salerno
You continue inside on the ground floor, where exhibits are arranged in chronological and topographical order, representing the entire Salerno area. New sites and finds recovered from old excavations and donations—since 1928—are also included.
The prehistoric section features artifacts from both the Paleolithic and Neolithic, coming from the caves of Polla, Pertosa, Palinuro, Molpa, and Caprioli, as well as from the Eneolithic period, sourced from the Fratte area, the oldest settlement in the municipality of Salerno. The Iron Age is illustrated by Villanovan artifacts (9th–8th centuries BC) from Pontecagnano and Sala Consilina.
The burial culture, such as that of Oliveto-Cairano in Salerno’s territory, is evidenced by grave goods from the 8th–6th centuries BC, while the so-called “orientalizing” period—characterized by pottery with geometric decoration—is represented by finds from Arenòsola at the Sele River mouth.
Next is the Greek period, which showcases the culture and trade between the Magna Graecia centers along the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. Visitors will also find a collection of necklaces and other jewelry in amber, as well as ivory and glass paste beads in the shape of female heads and sileni, dating to the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The collection also includes numerous Samnite belts and magnificent bronze helmets from various eras.
Upper Floor of the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Salerno
The upper floor houses exhibits from the city of Salerno, ideally continuing the Lapidarium section—from the rise of the ancient center of Fratte in the 6th century BC, a suburb northeast of Salerno, to the 5th–6th centuries AD, the late antique phase of Roman Salernum, founded as a colony in 194 BC. Funeral collections from the coastal area are displayed: oil lamps, vases, and tomb slabs, dating up to the 4th century AD. A highlight is the beautiful bronze head of Apollo, found in the waters of the Gulf of Salerno in 1930, which has become the symbol of the Provincial Museums of Salerno. The exhibit is rounded out by a rich numismatic collection.
The San Benedetto Complex
The Provincial Archaeological Museum of Salerno is located inside the San Benedetto complex, built between the 7th and 9th centuries on the plateau known as “Hortus magnus,” along the eastern walls of the defensive system commissioned by Arechi II. In 930, the monastery was elevated to the rank of abbey. Its walls hosted important historical figures, such as Abbot Desiderio, future Pope Victor III, and Gregory VII, who died here. Over the centuries, the monastery transferred from the Benedictines to the Olivetans following the Napoleonic laws; it was suppressed in 1807 and converted into a military district, while the church was transformed into the Royal Theatre before being returned to the Curia a century later. Today, parts of the Romanesque cloister and the Renaissance loggia of the “Castelnuovo Reale,” which belonged to Queen Margherita of Durazzo’s palace, still survive.
Information about the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Salerno
Via San Benedetto, 28
84122 Salerno (Salerno)
Phone: 089.231135
Email: info@museoarcheologicosalerno.it
Internet: https://www.museoarcheologicosalerno.it
Opening hours
The museum is open every day, except Mondays, from 9:00 am to 7:30 pm.
