The Castromediano Provincial Museum in Lecce

The Sigismondo Castromediano provincial museum in Lecce is housed in a palazzo called Collegio Argento, after the Jesuit Father who founded it in 1888. It was bought by the Province of Lecce in 1967 and renovated with a museum design by the architect Franco Minissi. It preserves the old façade and some interior rooms, to which new wings have been added. Previously, from 1868 to 1979, the museum was housed in some rooms of the Celestini convent. The collections come from excavations begun with Castromediano at the end of the nineteenth century. They have been enriched by excavation campaigns financed largely by the Province of Lecce (Roca, Rudiae, Cavallino, Poggiardo). They offer an organic overview of the Messapian civilisation in the Salento.

Purchases, donations and deposits have enriched its holdings and classes, so that today the museum is divided into several sections: antiquarium, topographic museum, picture gallery. Panels, slides, drawings, photographs, reliefs arranged around the scale model of the Salento peninsula introduce the various sections, providing the essential elements for the historical and technical understanding of the exhibits. Truly an interesting way to spend a few hours, and then you have to consider that besides having excellent opening hours and being open on holidays (we visited it on the Monday after Easter around 4 pm) it is completely free!