Archeological Museum of Syracuse

The museum is located in the Villa Landolina Park in the new part of the town, between the Catacombs of St. John and the Catacombs of Vigna Cassia. The Park is rich in archaeological traces (Christian hypogei, remains of an archaic necropolis, elements of Hellenistic dwellings in Syracuse) and is of great historical interest (non-Catholic cemetery with the tomb of the German poet August von Platen).

The museum consists of a round central body surrounded by three additional buildings; the displaying area is 9,000 sq. metre large. Great attention has been given to exhibition criteria: the most important pieces on display can be seen from every angle and, whenever the limited space only allows a frontal view, mirrors have been added in order to allow a complete vision of the object. The lighting system, mainly consiting of cold, artificial lights, not only has been specifically deviced for a better preservation of the objects, but also allows a clear and shadow-free vision.

The artifacts are displayed in three sectors:

Sector A
The first houses the most ancient finds from the Palaeolithic to the historical age. The early- Palaeolithic artifacts, from eastern and northern Sicily, are particularly interesting. The various prehistorical and historical items, from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, are cronologically and geographically arranged.

Sector B
The second is devoted to the Greek settlements, and most of the material originates from Megara Hyblaea and Syracuse. The collection of Greek vases, mainly from Attica, found in the necropolis of Syracuse is particularly rich and the architectural fragments from the Apollonion and Athenaion sanctuaries are among the most important pieces on display. The museum also exhibits finds from the Ionic settlements of Naxos, Katane and Leontinoi.

Sector C
The third is devoted to the Syracusan outpost of Eloro and to the Syracuse’s subcolonies of Akrai, Kasmenai and Kamarina. Another remarkable group of finds comes from the sites of Scordia, Mineo, Vizzini and Caltagirone, deeply influenced by the Greek culture. In addition to the votive stipa recently found near Francavilla, this wing also houses finds from earlier campaigns in Gela and Agrigento, which have been rearranged according to the up-to-date exhibition criteria.