Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Gioia del Colle

The National Archaeological Museum of Gioia del Colle presents finds from the Peucetian settlement of Monte Sannace in rooms of the town's castle.

Why it matters

The museum preserves material culture from a major Peucetian centre and connects archaeological finds with the settlement that produced them. Its collection developed through excavations at Monte Sannace, including campaigns in the mid-twentieth century.

What to notice

The collection includes geometric-decorated pottery, imported Greek vessels, a sixth-century BCE black-figure crater known as the Memnon Crater, an architectural antefix with a gorgoneion and a bronze boar-shaped rattle from a burial.

Context and history

The museum was founded in 1977 in the Norman-Swabian castle. Its holdings grew from discoveries at Monte Sannace, including finds from excavations beginning in 1929 and systematic campaigns from 1957 to 1961. Archaeological research at the site has continued.