Il Museo degli "Etruschi di frontiera": punto d'incontro fra "genti, religioni e lingue, mentalità e culture"
Stemming from the desire and need to narrate the history of the Etruscan-Campania settlement located along the left banks of the river Piacentino, the Archaeological Museum of Pontecagnano is a crucial point of research, experimenting, comparison and memory.
A treasure trove of exceptional specimens, closely linked to the land it represents.
History of the Museum
The presence of the Etruscans in Agro Piacentino, recorded by a few ancient authors, remained unacknowledged until 1962 when, following the construction of new buildings in the city centre of Pontecagnano, a vast operation to explore the ancient necropolis began.
From there, the diggings continued over the years, so much so that, to date, almost 10,000 burials have been brought to light with accompanying dowries and findings. After inaugurating an initial exhibiting area in 1978, a new, modern and specifically designed structure was paid for using European funding and inaugurated in 2007.
The Archaeological Museum in Pontecagnano has, therefore, been managed since 2014 by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities through the Campania Museum Group that then became regional Museums Directorate in 2019.
Heritage
The Museum protects and displays a priceless patrimony whose most consistent nucleus is exemplified by findings from the necropolises in Pontecagnano.
Following a tour that runs from the Eneolithic period to the Roman Age, visitors can learn more about the various periods of the city's development.
Particularly significant is the section dedicated to the aristocracies of the Orientalising period (late 8th - late 7th century BC), among whom are some burials defined as "princely" for the composition, richness and quality of the burial equipment.
A point of reference for archaeological research in Campania, since 2013 the Museum has also become a space of intertwining between archaeology and contemporary art through the "Contemporaneamente Museo" project, which includes temporary exhibitions of ancient artefacts and modern aesthetic visions.
