Aeolian Archaeological Museum, Lipari
Share
Lipari’s Aeolian Museum is testament to the successive civilisations that ruled the string of volcanic islands off the coast of Sicily. Not just in the wealth of artefacts on display, but also in the structure of the museum itself.
The museum is housed inside what was once a fortified town built on an extinct volcano, and four churches lie within its boundaries. Most of what is left is a castle built by the Spanish after the legendary red-bearded pirate, Kaireddin Barbarossa, destroyed the town in 1544 and seized its inhabitants as slaves. Yet part of the Greek, Roman, Norman and medieval fortifications remain, including parts of Norman Benedictine monastery — the cloister’s columns and arches are still visible with their beautifully carved capitals.
Inside, the museum is a treasure trove. It is host to a startling number of vases dating from the Neolithic times to the Romans, a pyramid of amphorae taken from a shipwreck dating to 200 BC, terracotta figurines of ancient Greek gods, and more than 1,000 theatrical terracotta masks and statuettes. The museum’s theatrical collection is unique; these tiny objects are exquisite and were made by craftsmen according to the instructions of playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides. The masks were carried by theatre troupes throughout ancient Greece and used as the template for the life-size masks worn by actors in performances; the figurines were used to help create stage designs in an almost ancient form of storyboarding.
Contact tel: +39 090 988 0174
Useful links
Aeolian Archaeological Museum
Average customer rating
awaiting 5 vote(s)...
Email
Add to your Pocket Guide
Why Register?
