Museo Archeologico Nazionale Vito Capialbi

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale Vito Capialbi is housed in Vibo Valentia’s Castello Normanno-Svevo. Its collection brings together archaeological finds from the area, including material from Greek sanctuaries and cemeteries, Roman sculpture and objects collected by the nineteenth-century scholar Vito Capialbi.

Why it matters

The museum preserves material from the ancient Greek settlement of Hipponion and the later history of Vibo Valentia. Among its best-known objects is a gold Orphic tablet from a Greek cemetery, inscribed with guidance for the deceased in the underworld. Other important finds include votive offerings from the sanctuary of Scrimbia and Roman-period sculpture.

What to notice

The museum’s collection includes pottery from different parts of the Greek world, votive objects from Scrimbia and grave goods from local necropoleis. The gold Orphic lamella offers evidence of beliefs about the afterlife in Magna Graecia. A thirteenth-century-BC sword was later reused in a sixth-century-BC burial, while terracotta warriors from a chamber tomb at Piercastello represent material associated with the Bruttii. Roman works include a portrait of Marcus Agrippa and a female bust carved in dark basanite.

Context and history

The collection’s roots include the ceramics and coins assembled by Vito Capialbi, a nineteenth-century scholar and antiquarian from Vibo Valentia. The state museum was established in 1969 and installed in the town’s castle. Its archaeological displays trace the area’s history through finds from sanctuaries, cemeteries and the Roman settlement. The Orphic tablet is among the museum’s most significant objects and has been widely discussed as evidence for ancient religious belief.