Dinu Adamesteanu National Archaeological Museum

The Dinu Adamesteanu National Archaeological Museum of Basilicata is housed in the Palazzo Loffredo, in the historic centre of Potenza. Opened in 2005, it is named after the Romanian-born archaeologist considered the father of Lucanian archaeology, and it is one of the richest collections in southern Italy for learning about the ancient peoples of the region.

What to see

The route is laid out over two floors, arranged chronologically and by territory, from the phases before Greek colonisation up to the Roman conquest, with a section on Potenza.
• The Braida di Vaglio tombs, a necropolis dating from the late 6th to the mid-5th century BC: armour from the male tombs and rich jewellery from the female ones, which reveal an elite, possibly of kings of the North Lucanian peoples.
• The sanctuary of Rossano di Vaglio, from the 4th century BC, reconstructed in a room with embossed bronze sheets, fragments of bronze statues, gold and silver jewellery, and marble and terracotta statuettes.
• Iron Age grave goods and finds from the Lucanian and Roman periods, including mosaics.

Opening hours and tickets

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 20:00; closed on Mondays. Standard tickets cost 5 €, reduced tickets 2 €; with 8 € you can also visit the Potenza Provincial Archaeological Museum and the one in Muro Lucano. On national free-admission days, entry is free.

Useful information

• Allow at least an hour and a half for your visit.
• Most captions are in Italian.
• Nearby is the Cathedral of San Gerardo; in the city there is also the Provincial Archaeological Museum.