Sibari Archaeological Park to open storage to public for first time
A decade after the devastating flood of the Crati river, the Sibari Archaeological Park in Calabria is set to reorganize around 500,000 artifacts stored in 20,000 crates behind the National Archaeological Museum of the Sibaritide, marking its first public opening. These items, which consist of amphorae, vases, and stones from northern Ionian Calabria and Cosenza, could significantly alter the historical narrative of the region. Located in Cassano all'Ionio, the park encompasses the ruins of Sybaris, established between 730-720 BC and later destroyed by Croton. This rehabilitation project, backed by a major investment, followed nearly a year of research and involved partnerships with the Scuola Alti Studi di Lucca and the University of Campania Vanvitelli, under the guidance of park director Filippo Demma.
Key facts
- Sibari Archaeological Park reorganizing 500,000 artifacts in 20,000 crates
- Storage to open to public for first time
- Ten years after Crati river flood disaster
- Artifacts mostly unpublished from northern Ionian Calabria and Cosenza province
- Park located in Cassano all'Ionio on 168 hectares
- Sybaris founded by Greek colonists in 730-720 BC
- Destroyed by Croton in Battle of Traente
- Thurii designed by Hippodamus of Miletus in 444 BC
- Roman colony Copiae; abandoned in Middle Ages, rediscovered in 1932
- Rehabilitation supported by substantial investment
- Research with Scuola Alti Studi di Lucca and University of Campania Vanvitelli
- Scientific direction by Filippo Demma, Maria Luisa Catoni, Carlo Rescigno
- Coordination by Camilla Brivio; contribution by Serena Guidone
- 11% of artifacts from Superintendency of Cosenza
Entities
Artists
- Hippodamus of Miletus
Institutions
- Sibari Archaeological Park
- National Archaeological Museum of the Sibaritide
- Scuola Alti Studi di Lucca
- University of Campania Vanvitelli
- IMT (Institutions, Markets, Technologies)
- Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Cosenza
Locations
- Sibari
- Calabria
- Cassano all'Ionio
- Cosenza
- Crati river
- Sybaris
- Magna Graecia
- Croton
- Thurii
- Copiae