Pithecusae, Archaeological site in Lacco Ameno, Ischia Island, Italy
Pithecusae is an archaeological site on Ischia Island with finds from prehistoric to Roman times displayed across nine exhibition rooms within Villa Arbusto. The collection shows pottery, tools, and objects that reveal the daily life and trade of this early settlement.
The site was founded in the eighth century BCE and was the first Greek colony in Italy, opening new trading routes across the Mediterranean. Settlement later declined, but the remains show how Greek culture spread to this western region.
The name comes from the Greek word for monkeys, which early settlers noticed living on the island. Local people still reference this origin in stories about how the ancient Greeks first called the place home.
The site is located on Ischia and is best accessed through the Museum Villa Arbusto, where most finds are housed. It is worth arriving early to explore the nine rooms without rush and examine the objects closely.
Among the exhibits is a crater from the late eighth century BCE that depicts a shipwreck with struggling sailors. This piece is rare because it is one of the oldest pictorial representations of a shipwreck in the western world.
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