Provincial Archaeological Numismatic Museum

Villa "Regina Margherita" - 1881 In the elegant Villa Regina Margherita, an architectural gem from 1881, one of the oldest and most fascinating museum collections in the South is preserved. The Provincial Museum of Catanzaro represents a historical milestone: founded in 1863 through the forward-thinking insight of Prefect Colucci, it was inaugurated on May 4, 1879, as one of the first museum institutions in post-unitary Italy. A Story of Passion and Pioneering The birth of this museum tells a story of extraordinary cultural modernity. When on November 12, 1863, the General Council of the province of Catanzaro decided to create a "Commission of Antiquities and Fine Arts," Italy had just achieved national unity. The goal was as ambitious as it was visionary: "to closely follow excavations in archaeological areas, collect information on history and fine arts, research owners of antiquities by proposing the purchase of interesting pieces." The allocation of one thousand lire annually - a very high amount for the time - attests to the seriousness of the commitment. The founders, including lawyer Antonio Jannoni, Professor Domenico Marincola Pistoia, and lawyers Luigi Menichini and Antonio Serravalle, laid the foundations for what would become one of the most significant collections in Calabria. From the First Location to Villa Margherita The museum began its life in the premises of the ancient convent complex of the Dominican Fathers in Piazza del Rosario, where the State Archives are now located. A theft of precious gold coins in 1887 made it necessary to move to the current location: the splendid Villa Regina Margherita, once part of the fourteenth-century complex of the Clarisses monastery, expertly renovated to house the treasures of the collection. Room A: The Charm of Origins The first room welcomes you with a journey through time that begins with the very origins of the museum. Three display cases faithfully reconstruct the first late nineteenth-century exhibition, when the passion for collecting mingled with enthusiasm for the great archaeological explorations of the time. Here you can observe a fascinating mix of authentic treasures and curious "period fakes" that testify to the taste of the time: a bronze statuette of Athena Promachos, a black varnish askos with relief decorations, a ram's head rhyton. Next to these, a maiolica plate with the coat of arms of the House of Savoy dated 1883 and wooden and terracotta objects documenting interest in nineteenth-century explorations. Treasures of the Territory Among the most precious pieces stand out artifacts of extraordinary historical value: - A thirteenth-century limestone bas-relief depicting a saint, from Gagliano - The famous gold leaf bracteate from Tiriolo, depicting the Adoration of the Magi, a masterpiece of medieval goldsmithing - Two Roman marble bases from Crotone, dedicated to Futia Lolliana and Lucius Lollius Marcianus, illustrious figures of...