Provincial Archaeological Museum “Francesco Ribezzo”: The Ancient Heart of Brindisi

The Provincial Archaeological Museum “Francesco Ribezzo” is Brindisi’s main cultural landmark — a place where the city’s millennia-old history unfolds through priceless archaeological treasures.

Dedicated to its founder, the archaeologist and scholar Francesco Ribezzo, the museum is housed in the impressive former convent of the Scuole Pie, an 18th-century building overlooking the historic center of Brindisi, whose solemn atmosphere perfectly frames the city’s ancient past.

Collections: Messapians, Romans, and Treasures from the Sea

The museum’s exhibition spans several floors, offering a meticulously curated journey through the history of the Brindisi area, a crossroads of peoples, trade, and civilizations since antiquity.

The Archaeological Section

This is the museum’s most fascinating and extensive area, covering a timeline from prehistory to the Roman age.

Among its most notable exhibits are:

• The Bronzes of Punta del Serrone – Two extraordinary bronze sculptures — a warrior’s head and a horseman on horseback — recovered from the seabed off the coast of Brindisi. These rare examples of ancient bronze statuary are the crown jewels of the museum’s collection.
• Underwater Finds – Reflecting Brindisi’s ancient role as a natural harbor, this section displays amphorae, ceramics, and other objects retrieved from numerous shipwrecks found in the port and along the Adriatic coastline.
• Messapian Funerary Goods – Weapons, vases, and ornaments from local necropolises, bearing witness to the Messapians, the pre-Roman people who inhabited the Salento region.
• Roman Sculptures and Mosaics – Fragments of statues, mosaics, and inscriptions that recount the history of Brundisium, a major Roman colony and key gateway to the East.

Other Collections

Beyond its archaeological core, the museum preserves other invaluable collections:

• A rich epigraphic section, with Greek and Latin inscriptions providing insight into the daily life, institutions, and customs of Roman Brindisi.
• An extensive numismatic collection, featuring coins ranging from ancient Greece to the Middle Ages, illustrating trade routes and the economic evolution of the region.

Visitor Information

📍 Address: Via Eduini, 2 – 72100 Brindisi (BR), Italy

📞 Phone: +39 0831 562118

🕒 Opening Hours:

Generally open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, with continuous daytime hours.

🎟️ Tickets:

Admission fees are modest. Reduced tickets are available for EU citizens aged 18–25, while visitors under 18 and all visitors on the first Sunday of each month enjoy free entry.

A visit to the Francesco Ribezzo Museum is more than an archaeological experience — it’s a journey through the layers of Brindisi’s ancient identity, from the Messapian warriors to the Roman sailors who once set out from this port toward the distant horizons of the East.

Cover photo credits: Alex Calvi, Google Maps