Museo archeologico nazionale "La Civitella"

Type:

Luoghi della cultura; Ente/Istituzione

Category:

Archaeology museums

This site is situated upon the acropolis of Chieti, the highest part of the ancient city, from where the northern slopes of the Majella can be seen.

The area was levelled in the middle of the 18th century to create a drill ground, later converted into a sports field. During the last two decades of the 19th s it was archaeologically investigated and this long research unearthed the remains of a sanctuary (2nd century B.C.) - that included three temples - and the lowest part of an amphitheatre (1st century A.D.).

The building was designed by the abruzzese architect Ettore de Lellis and was inaugurated on 18 November 2000 with the aim of protecting, enhancing and making available to the public the temples, the amphitheatre and the findings recovered there. Furthermore the artifacts from the collection of the erudite Vincenzo Zecca, from the Antiquarium Teatino and from the archaeological research carried out in Chieti and in the Marrucini region are hosted here too. The vast timescale covered goes from the Palaeolithic to the 1800s.

From the outside, approaching the museum, the visitor will see a modern structure that exploits large spaces on different levels. It has an intentional non-monumental impact and offers an enjoyable combination between old and new.

Once inside, the visitor can choose from three different itineraries, called The beginning of the urban history, From Roman times to yesterday and The land of the Marrucini. Short panels and captions can be integrated with extra contents by QR codes.

The first itinerary exposes findings, dating back to the 3rd - 2nd century B.C., related to the sanctuary on the acropolis and to the one in piazza dei Templi Romani. Thanks to the reconstruction of the pediments of the temples and their terracotta painted decorations, the visitor can plunge into the religious world of Roman Chieti and be moved by the traces of original colours.

The second itinerary is dedicated to the history of the city of Chieti, from Roman imperial times until contemporary times; the findings from the Roman theatre, amphitheatre, forum and baths are given new life in real size reconstructions, invigorated by videos, sounds and lights with a great emotional impact. With the last itinerary the visitor discovers the land of Marrucini, a corridor along the Pescara river valley, between the gorge of Popoli and the Adriatic Sea. The guest can see flaked stone tools dating back to around 400,000 years ago, pottery artifacts dated to the Neolithic, votive gifts to the gods, etc.

This journey backwards virtually ends at the mouth of the Pescara river, where a short video shows the opposite side of the Adriatic sea and its most important archaeological findings.