Museo civico di San Severo

The Museo dell’Alto Tavoliere, recently renovated and equipped with the most modern services, occupies the rooms of the historic former convent of San Francesco d’Assisi. The convent complex of ancient origin (first attested in 1232) was rebuilt after the earthquake of July 30, 1627, expanding southwest towards the ancient city wall layout; the structure, including the attached church, underwent further renovations in the first half of the eighteenth century and during the twentieth century, up to the latest interventions completed in 2009 and aimed at adapting the museum displays for greater enjoyment and enhancement of the entire building. The complex, with the suppression of the Franciscan order, was used for various purposes beyond its original intent: military barracks, town hall, orphanage, elementary school, and cultural venue from the last decade of the twentieth century until today.

 

 

 

 

The MAT guides visitors through the territory’s past through the rich heritage from archaeological areas, from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages.

The exhibition of the collections is preceded by two sections narrating the history of the territory conceived as the history of landscapes and revealed through the diaries of past travelers and aerial photographs that enabled the discovery of archaeological sites.

The route documents the presence of human settlements in the surrounding areas since the Paleolithic. The prehistoric collection presents materials from chance finds and surface collections, and the original artifacts are accompanied by reconstructions and faithful copies of objects that provide insights into the life of prehistoric populations.

The MAT contains one of the most important collections of grave goods from Daunian-era tombs; objects come from the necropolises of Serpente, Pedincone, Casone (to which an entire room is dedicated), and from the urban center of San Severo. Among the most interesting displayed objects, the presence of steles, tomb markers, and grave goods objects that highlight the prestige of the deceased (precious metal artifacts, ceramics of Hellenistic culture) is extremely significant.

 The archaeological section on the upper floor ends with a thematic room dedicated to the production forms of Apulian red-figure pottery and their outcomes represented by polychrome tempera ceramics.

The Lapidarium on the lower floor houses some Roman-era artifacts, allowing understanding of the social history of this area when it entered the political and economic orbit of Rome between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD. A room on the lower floor documents, through archaeological artifacts, the productions that have characterized the Alto Tavoliere territory since the earliest times:  grain, wine, oil, and transhumant shepherding.

Inside the museum, the Pinacoteca “Luigi Schingo” was established in 2006, consisting of forty works including paintings, sculptures, and drawings, grouped by themes: landscapes, portraits, daily life scenes.

The route concludes with a ground floor space reserved for temporary exhibitions.

At the MAT, fully accessible to disabled persons, guided tours, educational workshops, experimentation activities, simulations, and animation with specialized operators are carried out. Furthermore, targeted pathways, projects, consultancy, and in-depth studies are made on request and based on particular needs presented by teaching staff.