The archeological museum of the Sorrentine Peninsula is situated in the room of the splendid villa Fondi in Piano di Sorrento. Located in an extraordinary panoramic position, it faces versa Vesuvius and the Gulf of Naples.
The villa and all its splendor was recovered by the town of Piano di Sorrento through a skillful restoration that today represents an extraordinary example of neoclassical architecture in Sorrento.
The museum, named after the archeologist and scholar George Vallet, was born from the need to collect documentation and results of archeological excavations of the Sorrentine Peninsula. It has seen the discovery of objects ranging from the prehistoric to the Roman Period.
Sources have located a temple of Athena at Capo Ateneo – the current tip of Campanella – and not far, a sanctuary dedicated to the Sirens. These represent the few traces of the Greek era in Sorrento.
During the Roman period, instead numerous seaside villas were constructed, including Villa del Capo di Sorrento, which probably belonged to Pollio Felice; and the villa of Pipiano, excavated in the earlier century in Massa Lubrense near the marina di Puolo, in which the splendid nymphaeum mosaic along with other artifacts is exhibited in the Archeological museum. The nymphaeum is testimony to the lavish seaside villas consecrated by the Roman emperors along the entire Gulf of Naples.
On display are Roman remains, anthropomorphic columellae, balsam of glass and terracotta and interesting red figure vases dating from the fourth century BC.
Of noteworthy importance are the ruins found in the two necropolises of Vico Equense, famous for their important example of pieces of ceramic vases of the Archaic period with Oscan and Etruscan inscriptions and thenecropolis of the dessert of Sant’Agata sui due Golfi, with his funeral trousseau, exhibited in room 3 of the museum.
Address: Via Ripa di Cassano, Piano di Sorrento (NA)
Telephone: 081/8087078
Opening hours: 9.00-13.00; 16.00-19.00
Closed: Monday.
