Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae

Ischia

LoginSave

Housed in the elegant Villa Arbusto, former home of local celeb Angelo Rizzoli, the Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae enjoys a heady historical location overlooking Monte Vico, site of the ancient settlement and acropolis of Pithecusae. The museum has a fascinating collection of important finds from the island’s Hellenic settlement, ranging from imported earthenware to parts of the acropolis itself.

A highlight is the legendary 7th-century-BC Nestor’s Cup in Sala (Room) II, bearing one of the oldest-known Greek inscriptions – which, appropriately, celebrates the wine of Ischia. The space also encompasses the Museo Angelo Rizzoli.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Water carriers from Herculaneum, Museo Archeologico Nazionale.

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    20.48 MILES

    Naples' National Archaeological Museum serves up one of the world’s finest collections of Graeco-Roman artefacts. Originally a cavalry barracks and later…

  • Royal Palace of Capodimonte, Naples

    Museo di Capodimonte

    20.82 MILES

    Originally designed as a hunting lodge for Charles VII of Bourbon, the monumental Palazzo di Capodimonte was begun in 1738 and took more than a century to…

  • NAPLES, ITALY - JUNE 11: The Modesty of Antonio Corradini in the Sansevero Chapel during the reopening to the public on June 11, 2020 in Naples, Italy. The Sansevero Chapel Museum can be visited again after the closure imposed by the lockdown for the covid-19 emergency, exactly thirty years after the reopening to the public after the restoration works which in 1990 returned to the fruition the baroque masterpieces of the chapel commissioned by Raimondo di Sangro and the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino sculpted in 1753, today a symbol of the Neapolitan Baroque. (Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images) 1249041534

    Cappella Sansevero

    20.61 MILES

    It's in this Masonic-inspired baroque chapel that you'll find Giuseppe Sanmartino's incredible sculpture, Cristo velato (Veiled Christ), its marble veil…

  • Carved head, Casa dei Nettuno e Anfitrite, Herculaneum.

    Ruins of Herculaneum

    24.57 MILES

    Herculaneum harbours a wealth of archaeological finds, from ancient advertisements and stylish mosaics to carbonised furniture and terror-struck skeletons…

  • Scenic picture view of the city of Naples Napoli with famous Mount Vesuvius in the background from Certosa di San Martino monastery, Campania, Italy; Shutterstock ID 2105276987; purchase_order: 65050; job: poi; client: ; other: 2105276987

    Certosa e Museo di San Martino

    19.78 MILES

    The high point (quite literally) of the Neapolitan baroque, this charterhouse-turned-museum was built as a Carthusian monastery between 1325 and 1368…

  • Burial chamber at the San Gennaro Catacombs

    Catacombe di San Gennaro

    20.58 MILES

    Naples' oldest and most sacred catacombs became a Christian pilgrimage site when San Gennaro's body was interred here in the 5th century. The carefully…

  • View of Castello Aragonese

    Castello Aragonese

    4.54 MILES

    There are castles and then there’s Ischia’s Castello Aragonese, a veritable fort-city set on its own craggy islet, looking like a cross between Harry…

  • Front entrance of Naples Duomo

    Duomo

    20.91 MILES

    Whether you go for Giovanni Lanfranco's fresco in the Cappella di San Gennaro (Chapel of St Janarius), the 4th-century mosaics in the baptistry, or the…

View more attractions

Nearby Ischia attractions

1. Museo Angelo Rizzoli

This pint-sized museum encased in the larger Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae pays homage to the man who turned humble little Lacco into a celebrity…

2. Baia di San Montano

0.46 MILES

Just outside Lacco Ameno and wedged between two headlands, this gorgeous bay is the place for warm, shallow, crystal-clear waters. It's situated in front…

3. La Mortella

0.54 MILES

A symphony of plants, La Mortella (the myrtles) is the former home and gardens of the late British composer William Walton (1902–83) and his Argentine…

4. Punta Caruso

1.18 MILES

Located on Ischia's northwestern tip, this secluded rocky spot is perfect for a solitary swim in clear, deep water. To get here, follow the walking path…

5. Monte Epomeo

1.62 MILES

To anyone of average fitness, an ascent of Ischia’s slumbering volcanic peak is practically obligatory. The views from the rocky summit are superb. And,…

6. Cappella di San Nicola di Bari

1.64 MILES

The little church near the top of Monte Epomeo is the 15th-century Cappella di San Nicola di Bari, which features a pretty majolica floor. The adjoining…

7. Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso

1.82 MILES

This diminutive white church perched above the water in the town centre was originally part of a 14th-century Augustinian monastery; its side chapel and…

8. Giardini Ravino

1.95 MILES

The vision of local botanist Giuseppe D’Ambra, who has collected plants since the 1960s, this 6000-sq-metre garden pays homage to the not-so-humble cactus…