isole flegreemuseums of ischia type:archaeological interest:
Besides the many natural and landscape beauties, with its museums Ischia gives to visitors the opportunity for appreciating this site also for its historical, archaeological and traditional aspects. Among the various museums of the island, those most famous are the Museum of Villa Arbusto (or Pithecoussai), the archaeological excavation of Saint Restituta and the Museum of the Sea.
Archaeological Museum of Pithecoussai
The archaeological Museum of Pithecoussai is situated in the main building of the compound of Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno. In substitution of the “old” Museum of Ischia, inaugurated in the ‘40s, the new exposure of 1999 is a collection of some finds of the island that show the events of Ischia from the prehistory to the Roman Age. Very interesting are some finds of the old Pithecoussai, that is to say the Greek town built in the 8th century b.C. and found by the archaeologist Giorgio Buchner in 1952. The Nestor vase and many other similar objects were found in the necropolis of the San Montano Valley. This famous vase, considered the most ancient example of the Greek writing, with its epigram of three lines recalls the famous Nestor vase mentioned in the Iliad. Other finds in terracotta come from the acropolis of Monte di Vico. Less are, instead, the Roman finds, because of the scarce number of inhabitants who were discouraged by the volcanic phenomenon of the island.
Museum and archaeological site of Saint Restituta
In Lacco Ameno, where Saint Restituta’s memorabilia came by sea from Africa, now there are a church and a museum. In the ‘50s the restore works of the chapel dedicated to the martyr showed a crypt, seat of an ancient Christian cemetery and many Phoenician, Punic and Greek-Roman tombs. The archaeological excavations have allowed to individuate a cemetery area and an area used for the clay work. Here were found the kilns where the Pithecusan vases were cooked and then sold in all the Mediterranean Lands. Among the various finds there are fragments of amphora and dishes painted with images of deities, such as the Head of the nymph Arethusa and the Head of Demetra, both dated at 4th century b.C. now the Museum also hosts important finds coming from other parts of the island that offer a panoramic view of the history of Ischia from the prehistory to the Cristianity passing through the Greek-Roman period.
Museum of the sea
In Ischia Ponte, not far from the Aragonese Castle, it is possible to visit, since 1996, the Museum of the Sea, set up in the rooms of the 18th century Palace of the Clock, seat of the town hall. The exposure hosts many finds, documents and objects referring to the world of fishermen and sailors. In some rooms there are compasses, binoculars and radiotelegraphs, but there are also rudders, propellers, anchors, diving suits and oil lamps. A section of the Museum is dedicated to the archaeological finds such as amphora, jugs, fragments of dishes and cannonballs. Very interesting are also the perfect models of ships and fishing boats, the uniforms, the nautical maps and the remains of some fishes and shellfishes.
