Departmental Museum of archaeology Gilort Carcopino, Archaeological museum at Fort de Matra, Aléria, France.
The Departmental Museum of Archaeology Gilort Carcopino is housed within a 14th-century fortification that sits on a hilltop overlooking the Corsican coast. Inside, rooms with display cases hold pottery, jewelry, and other objects from different ancient cultures arranged chronologically and by origin.
The museum was founded in the late 1970s based on archaeological excavations that had uncovered ancient sites across the island. The collection documents Corsica's long history of settlement and cultural contact from early Greek through Roman times.
The museum is named after one of its founders and holds pieces that reveal how Corsica was connected to the wider Mediterranean world. The Greek and Etruscan objects on display show how different peoples and their crafts influenced each other across time.
The best time to visit is during summer when opening hours are longer and the nearby town is more active. The walk up to the museum from the old town takes only a few minutes, and the hilltop location is easy to reach on foot.
One of the most remarkable pieces in the collection is an ancient dish with an engraved image of an elephant, recalling the historical ties between the island and the Carthaginian world. This rare bowl shows how far trade networks and cultural exchanges reached in ancient times.
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