Archaeological Museum Paolo Orsi

It was established in the eighteenth century; since 1988 the museum is located at Villa Landolina and is dedicated to the great archaeologist Paolo Orsi, who made the main studies on the city.

The Archaeological Museum “Paolo Orsi” collects the most important documents of prehistory, the early history of Sicily and famous works of Greek and Roman art, ceramics, marble and architectural decorations. The oldest finds are from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age.

Jewel of the museum is the “Venere anadiomene”, Roman-Hellenistic statue said Venere Landolina named by its discoverer.

Since 2010 it is open to the public the Numismatics hall. It shows a rich historical documentation on the evolution of currency, from the primitive means of exchange (axes, spearheads, bronze pieces) to the most ancient coins dating from the fifth century BC. Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman and Aragonese coinage, up to the coinages of the mint of Palermo before its removal by the King Ferdinand III, are documented too. Moreover there is a rich collection of ancient jewelery of the XVII – XVIII century belonged to noble families of Sicily.