Museo di Santa Restituta, museum in Italy
The Museo di Santa Restituta is a museum in Lacco Ameno on the island of Ischia, housed beneath an old church and displaying artifacts from different historical periods. The collection includes pottery, coins, burial sites, and the remains of an early Christian baptismal room with steps that lie exposed underground.
The museum began in the 1950s when excavations beneath a small chapel uncovered many ancient structures and objects, which the priest Pietro Monti documented and organized. The findings show traces of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and early Christians who inhabited and traveled through the area over thousands of years.
The church of Santa Restituta, to which the museum is attached, remains central to local life in Lacco Ameno. The site shows how people have lived with layers of history beneath their feet, from ancient pagan worship to early Christian baptism practices.
Access is possible on foot from the center of Lacco Ameno, as the museum is located near the church in town. Excavations are sometimes closed for maintenance and research work, so it is wise to check current opening hours before visiting.
The so-called Coppa di Nestore, an ancient cup from classical Greece, is one of the oldest examples of Greek writing in the region and shows how deep the island's trade connections were. Tiny clay figurines such as horses and boats that ancient children played with also offer direct insight into the daily life of past times.
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