National archaeological museum in the Valle del Sarno

Thanks to the quality and uniqueness of its numerous findings, the Archaeological Museum in Valle del Sarno is an active research centre, that attracts the interest of Italian and foreign researchers.

The history of the museum

Built around the middle of the Eighteenth century on the wishes of Ungaro family, an old family from Sarno, the Palazzo Capua, current-day home to the Archaeological Museum of the Valle del Sarno is one of the key examples of noble architecture in the city, inspired by the Neapolitan architectural tradition of the time.

After falling under the ownership of the Capua family in the next century, the palace was then bought by the State with a view to transforming it into an exhibition space. The Museum was inaugurated on 1 July 2011 and now displays archaeological findings from the whole area of Agro Nocerino-Sarnese, for a period that extends from the prehistoric era right up to Medieval times.

Heritage

The Museum itinerary winds through a selection of pre-historic materials (IV millennium - X century B.C.), a selection of funeral dowries from the proto-historic necropolises in the Valle del Sarno (IX - VI centuries B.C.), and other extremely important testimonies of the "Culture of buried tombs", common at the time in different parts of ancient Italy.

Of particularly attraction is the invaluable female, orientalizing era (mid VIII - start of VII centuries B.C.) funeral dowry in tomb 818, that highlights the important social role played by women of rank in local culture at that time.

Also of interest is the "Horseman's tomb", depicting a scene, typical of funeral paintings at that time, of the "return of the warrior welcomed by the family": the horseman, unusually portrayed with white-hair, returns home loaded with the booty of the defeated enemy, in company of a second, younger warrior, and both are welcomed by the women reciting their libation ritual.

The second floor of the Palace, which was the "main floor", is still being restored, but preserves frescoed walls and ceilings from the XVIII century. Further support to visitors in interpreting the findings on display, are offered in the form of videos, visible on screens located in the museum's various rooms