Archaeological Museum of the Phlegraean Fields – Bacoli

Finds and history of the main archaeological sites of the Phlegraean Fields, in province of Naples

The Archaeological Museum of the Phlegraean Fields is housed in the Aragonese Castle of Baia, in Bacoli, in the province of Naples.

The Castle of Baia, built between 1490 and 1493 by the Aragonese familyand enlarged between the 16th and 18th centuries during the Spanish Viceroyalty, dominates the summit of the promontory which encloses in the south the Gulf of Baia.

The castle is located near Terme di Baia and halfway between Cumae and Pozzuoli and it has been chosen to host the Archaeological Museum because of its excellent central position among the main archaeological sites of the Phlegraean Fields.

The walls of the Castle contain the remains of a magnificent Roman villa which perhaps belonged to Julius Caesar, probably built in the 2nd century BC, then renovated twice in the 1st century BC. and in the Neronian period, when the property was acquired by the imperial state property.
Visitors can now admire the Roman floors decorated by a black and white mosaic inside the Cavaliere Pavilion.

The Archaeological Museum of the Phlegraean Fields is divided into 5 sections located in different and distant parts of the Castle, giving life to a dynamic and lively tour route between suggestive ramps and stairs and panoramic terraces up to the spectacular Piazza d’Armi, from which visitors can enjoy a wonderful and wide view of the entire Gulf of Naples.

The 5 sections are:
– Rione Terra
– Pozzuoli
– Liternum
– Baia
– Cuma

They are arranged by topographical and thematic contexts.
They expose the numerous finds from Rione Terra in Pozzuoli (sculptures, inscriptions, architectural coroplasty, figured terracotta, pottery, metal and glass artifacts, goldsmiths and coins).
Then they illustrate the history of the ancient sites located in the Phlegraean Fields (Cumae, Puteoli, Baiae, Misenum and Liternum) showing the reconstructions of the Sacellum of the Augustales of Miseno and the Nymphaeum of Punta Epitaffio in Baiae, wanted by the emperor Claudius and today sunk to a depth of 7 meters below sea level due to the bradyseism, some plaster casts found at Terme di Baia.

USEFUL INFORMATION
Opening hours: check the website>>>
Entrance with a fee>>>
It is recommended to wear a safety mask and to keep an interpersonal distance of at least 1 meter.

Visit also the Facebook page of the museum

photo credits: website and facebook page of the museum
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ARE YOU IN BACOLI?
Another unmissable experience is to see the Submerged Park of Baia>>>