“The ancient civilizations of Basilicata. Treasures emerging to light” at Acropolis Museum

Discover the rich cultural heritage of the south of Italy

The Acropolis Museum presents the exhibition ‘The ancient civilizations of Basilicata. Treasures emerging to light’ in its Temporary Exhibition Gallery. This exhibition is the result of the work of many scholars who have dedicated years to highlighting the culture of a region in southern Italy, the area in the middle of the Gulf of Taranto, the land of Oenotria, today’s Basilicata. This exhibition will allow visitors to admire the civilization that the Greeks from the Peloponnese and the islands of ancient Hellas encountered on their long journeys, undertaken to settle in the lands of Italy and Sicily, and above all in the coastal areas known as Magna Graecia.

The exhibition “The ancient civilizations of Basilicata. Treasures emerging to light’ is a voyage of discovery of the Italian cultural heritage through the Basilicata Museum Network and its “treasures”, objects of the “invisible heritage” kept in the Museo Nazionale della Siritide, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Metaponto and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale “Domenico Ridola” in Matera, specially restored and exhibited to the public for the first time.

Divided into three sections, the exhibition traces the history of ancient Basilicata, ancient Oenotria, before the arrival of the Greeks and the Lucanians, entrusting the story to the rich archaeological heritage that has resulted from almost a century and a half of discoveries and research. The journey begins at the end of the Bronze Age among the communities of the Materano area and continues in the Iron Age with the Choni and the Enotri, Italian peoples who occupied the southwestern territory of the region between the 9th and 5th centuries B.C. The protagonists are the precious artifacts that testify to the wealth and hegemonic role within the communities.

It is the fruit of the collaboration of many scholars who have been trying for years to bring to light the culture of a region at the southern tip of Italy, in the center of the Gulf of Taranto, the land of Oenotria, now called Basilicata. Through this exhibition, visitors will learn about the culture that the Greeks from the Peloponnese and the islands of ancient Greece encountered on their long journeys to settle in what was later called Greater Greece.

The exhibition is organized by the Italian Ministry of Culture – General Directorate of Italian Museums, in collaboration with the National Museums of Matera and the Regional Directorate of National Museums of Basilicata, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. It is also organized with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Greece and the Cultural Institute of Athens, in collaboration with the Acropolis Museum.

In parallel with the exhibition at the Acropolis Museum, the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens will present a display of 20 objects from the region of Basilicata. The opening ceremony was addressed by:

Prof. Massimo Osanna, Director General of Museums of the Italian Ministry of Culture
Filippo La Rosa, Deputy Director General for Public and Cultural Diplomacy and Central Director for the Promotion of Italian Culture and Language at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Arch. Annamaria Mauro, Director of the National Museum of Matera