Archaeological Museum of Atina "Giuseppe Visocchi"

The Museum is located in an elegant classical-style building in the historic center of Atina, seat of the former elementary school donated in 1928 to the citizens by the mayor Giuseppe Visocchi.

Today the building houses the museum on the first floor and the municipal library in the basement; on the lower floor there are, on the other hand, the artifacts warehouse, the conference room, the teaching room, the photographic and restoration laboratory.

The exhibition itinerary unfolds in five large rooms, which contain materials referable to a chronological period between the eighth century. BC and the late Middle Ages, coming from the territory of Atinate and from other municipalities in the valley, in particular from the necropolis of Ominimorti in San Biagio Saracinisco and from the Italic sanctuary of Casale Pescarolo in Casalvieri. The layout of the Museum follows a predominantly topographical criterion, with finds organized by areas of discovery or by collections of origin. In the entrance corridor there is a coin cabinet and a lapidarium, with precious Roman epigraphs from the municipal area, which allow you to relive the traditions, history and society of Roman Atina.

In the first room there is a funerary lion from the Roman era and the grave goods from the pre-Roman necropolis found in 2002 in via dei Sanniti in Atina.

The second and fourth rooms house the funerary objects from three distinct necropolises located in the area of Monte Santa Croce in San Biagio Saracinisco, datable between the seventh and fifth centuries. BC and between the fourth and third centuries. B.C

The collection consists mainly of pre-Roman pottery in impasto, such as the ribbed amphorae of the "Alfedena" type and the ovoid ollas attributable to the archaic culture of the Liri Valley, together with jugs (oinochoai) in purified clay and bucchero, which document the commercial penetration of the Etruscans in this inland area of southern Lazio, attracted by the richness of the metal deposits of Monte Meta. The lively local pre-Roman metallurgical tradition is testified by the numerous iron and bronze weapons (spearheads and javelin points) and by accessories of the warrior's equipment, such as embossed bronze foil belts or iron horse bits.