Museo Arcos

ARCOS in Benevento brings together contemporary art and the Egyptian collection associated with the city's ancient temple of Isis.

Why it matters

The museum places modern and contemporary artistic practice alongside archaeological evidence of Egyptian religion in Roman Benevento. Its two collections reveal the city's cultural connections across very different periods.

What to notice

The Egyptian section includes sphinxes, a falcon of Horus, a baboon associated with Thoth and figures of worshippers and priests. Two pink-granite obelisks are linked to the temple's foundation; one is now displayed in Piazza Papiniano. The contemporary galleries present artists associated with Campania and the region.

Context and history

The Egyptian finds relate to a temple of Isis built under Domitian in the late first century AD. The temple itself has not been located, but many sculptures were recovered in excavations around 1903. ARCOS opened in 2005 as a contemporary art museum and also houses the Egyptian section transferred from the Museo del Sannio.