Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Muro Lucano

The National Archaeological Museum of Muro Lucano is housed in the town’s former sixteenth-century diocesan seminary. Its collections trace the history of the Marmo-Platano-Melandro area through finds from prehistoric communities, Lucanian centres and Roman-period settlements.

Why it matters

The museum brings together archaeological material from across the Marmo-Platano-Melandro territory of north-western Basilicata. Finds recovered in excavations since 1980 document communities and settlements in the surrounding uplands, from the pre-Roman period through the Roman Empire. The collection links Muro Lucano with nearby archaeological sites rather than presenting the history of a single town alone.

What to notice

The displays include reconstructed tombs from the necropolis of Baragiano, objects from Lucanian centres and sanctuaries, and the stone inscription naming Mais Arrios, a Lucanian meddix. The Roman section includes the funerary monument of Rufus, found in the Muro Lucano area, as well as stelae and altars from neighbouring communities. The final galleries present mosaics and a mullioned window from the late-imperial villa of San Giovanni di Ruoti, alongside material from other villas in the upper Bradano valley.

Context and history

The seminary that houses the museum was founded in 1565 by Bishop Filezio de Cittadinis after the Council of Trent. Its chapel of San Gregorio was built in 1688, and an arched corridor connecting the seminary to the bishop’s palace was added in 1841. The museum was established in 2003; its installation developed in stages and was completed in 2008. Its galleries place finds from across the territory within the architectural history of the seminary.