MUSEO ETNOANTROPOLOGICO

Information Sheet

📍 Location: Casa della Corte, Piazza Paolo Capasso, Agerola (NA)
🏛️ Type: Ethno-anthropological museum
📅 Period: 21st century (contemporary museum)
🖼️ Collection: Archaeological finds, tools from rural life and artefacts reflecting local culture

The Museum was established to preserve not only its remarkable archaeological collection but also the everyday memories of Agerola’s past—simple, authentic objects that tell the story of ordinary life and local traditions.

Its collections bring together archaeological finds from the area’s earliest human settlements alongside household items, tools and artefacts from more recent centuries, preserving a way of life that is rapidly disappearing. These valuable collections are complemented by remarkable works of art of outstanding historical and cultural significance.

The Museum reflects the dedication and passion of those who spent a lifetime collecting and preserving memories, objects and curiosities that document Agerola’s material culture. Through an extensive display of traditional tools used for generations in farming, craftsmanship and daily life, the Museum pays tribute to the hard work, ingenuity and resilience of the local community.

Visitors are invited to discover an extraordinary collection that brings the history of Agerola back to life—a land of vineyards, chestnut woods, skilled craftsmen and shepherds; a place where the scent of freshly cut wood, fermenting grape must and warm kitchens evokes a timeless rural heritage. It tells the story of a community shaped by the strength of the mountains and the spirit of those who have always lived in harmony with them.

The Museum’s Most Precious Treasure

The Museum’s most valuable exhibit is the Processional Cross, a masterpiece created by an unknown Campanian silversmith, most likely active within the Duchy of Amalfi, of which Agerola was once a part.

This magnificent double-sided silver cross dates back to the third quarter of the 15th century. It is an outstanding example of medieval craftsmanship, faithfully reflecting the artistic principles of the period through its iconography, decorative motifs and harmonious architectural design. It represents one of Agerola’s most important historical and artistic treasures, bearing witness to the area’s rich religious and cultural heritage.

As well as for its overall fine craftsmanship, this Cross is admired for the quality of the miniature sculptures that adorn it. Of particular note are the tiny sculptures on the reverse, amongst which the Madonna and Child, in the centre, stands out; this work “draws, at the very highest level, on a traditionally medieval repertoire that ranges amongst the finest examples of large-scale, even monumental, sculpture from Central Italy”.