A mine of archaeological findings, works of art, documents and historical evidence. It is the Museo Provinciale Campano of Capua, founded in 1870 by the canon Gabriele Iannelli, an illustrious archaeologist who was also its first director, and inaugurated in 1874 in the prestigious Antignano Palace, an appropriate treasure chest for such a significant content.
The original building dates back to the 9th century, in the middle of the Lombard period, which was followed by the transformation present in the Aragonese period in 1453. The building incorporating the remains of the Lombard church of St. Lorenzo ad Crucem, is located where one of the ancient noble seats. Of particular value is the Catalan Durazzo portal with the coats of arms of the Antignano and d’Alagno families. In the 1930s, the exhibition was renovated, making room for new collections, by the great Amedeo Maiuri, who considered it the "most significant museum of the Italian civilization in Campania". And in fact, three thousand years of history of the city and the surrounding area are summarized, in which Oscis, Etruscans, Samnites, Romans, Lombards, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese and Spanish settlements have succeeded. And characters such as Spartacus, Annibale Pandolfo Capodiferro, Pietro della Vigna, Cesare Borgia and Ettore Fieramosca. Even if the palace was destroyed by the bombing of 9 September 1943, like so much of Capua, nothing was lost, because the works were saved in time. Thus, after the palace was restored, the new museum was rearranged with an archaeological section and a medieval section, displayed in the 32 exhibition rooms, in addition to 20 deposits, spaces for the library and the archive. To complete the spaces open to the public, the three large courtyards and the beautiful garden.
The Museum houses the Mater Matutae Collection from the 8th to the first century BC; protohistoric vases from the Iron Age up to the Etruscan buccheros; Greek (including splendid 5th century Attics) and Italiot vases - including the Campania's The torture of Issiope, The kidnapping of Orizia, Aiace and Cassandra - architectural and votive terracottas; the Hellenistic Tanagrines; the collection of bronzes, coins and medals; a large collection of epigraphs of the Campania countryside including the inscription of the Iulia colony; the mosaics of St. Angelo in Formis; the sculptures on the door of Frederick II; various Renaissance sculptures, including the high relief by Caccavello depicting Our Lady of Grace and the Prisons. Very important is the Pinacoteca from the 13th to the 18th century with works from the Caravaggesque school, by Bartolomeo Vivarini, Cristoforo Sacco, Francesco Liani, a wooden crucifix, a fresco from 1290 depicting the Ascension of Christ.
In the latest reorganization of the spaces were set up the following: the Bourbon Room with portraits of the dynasty; the Liani Room with works by the artist; the Savoy Room with the portraits of the members of the House. The historical archive with documents on the history of Campania felix and the Library, which has 70,000 volumes and various important manuscripts, are of particular importance.
