ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM, History And Phoenician Exhibits

Hi, my name’s Scott, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: the Archeological Museum, home to the magnificent sculptures of Selinunte.

The Antonio Salinas Regional Archeological Museum is located in the Olivella monumental complex, which comprises the Church of Sant'Ignazio and the nearby Oratory of Saint Phillip Neri. In 1866, the Italian government ordered the suppression of religious orders and the building, like many other convents, was turned into a National Museum. Following the terrible bombing raids in 1943, the building was restored and used to house the archeological collections.

As a result of the reorganization work under way, it may only be possible to visit the ground floor. In the little rooms looking onto the portico, however, you can see some exceptional artefacts dating to the seventh century BC, when the western part of Sicily was a large, prosperous Phoenician colony, an ancient civilization of sailors who also founded Carthage, while the eastern part had been colonized by the Greeks.  ...