Ori di Taranto, the jewels of Princess Opaka Sabaleida on display in Canosa

The diadem and scepter of Daunian princess Opaka Sabaleida are about to return to Puglia, after a long exhibition journey that has touched some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions. The two jewels, masterpieces ofTarentine goldsmithing from the 3rd century B.C., will be on display starting March 14 at the National Archaeological Museum in Canosa di Puglia. The event marks the return to Italy of the exhibition Forms and Colors of Pre-Roman Italy. Canosa di Puglia, which has already been hosted at the venues of the Italian Cultural Institutes in Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires and São Paulo, as well as in the halls of the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City and, in Italy, at Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. Announcing the important exhibition is the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MArTA), which permanently houses the treasures and accompanies them on the last leg of their journey before returning to its own collection.

“The exhibition curated by Massimo Osanna and Luca Mercuri is now a valuable expression of the great heritage of civilization of this land,” explains MArTA director Stella Falzone, “because it restores honor to the territory where in 1928 the then superintendent and former director of the museum of Taranto, Quintino Quagliati, discovered this important archaeological treasure.”

The exhibition will in fact be set up inside some rooms on the second floor of the school building “G. Mazzini,” chosen to house the future headquarters of the new National Archaeological Museum of Canosa di Puglia. The opening of the exhibition thus also represents the inaugural act of a major museum project, which aims to restore an even stronger historical identity to the city through the enhancement of its archaeological heritage. The jewels of Opaka Sabaleida were discovered in 1928 in a hypogeic tomb located along the road that connects Canosa to Cerignola, in an area that runs parallel to the route of the Appia Traiana. The burial, datable to the end of the 3rd century B.C., returned a rich trousseau, with artifacts that testify to the very high level reached by Tarentine goldsmith production. In fact, alongside the golds, other works of great interest will be presented, including ceramics and handicrafts characteristic of this ancient civilization, to allow a deeper understanding of the historical and artistic context in which these treasures were made.

The opening ceremony will be attended by important personalities from the world of culture and institutions. Among those present will be Vito Malcangio, mayor of Canosa di Puglia, and Nadia Landolfi, head of the Foscolo-Lomanto-Mazzini Comprehensive Institute, the school that is temporarily hosting the exhibition. Also participating will be Sergio Fontana, president of the Canosina Archaeological Foundation; Anita Guarnieri, superintendent of Archaeology Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Barletta-Andria-Trani and Foggia; and Francesco Longobardi, delegate to the Regional Directorate of National Museums Puglia. The event will also feature Luigi Oliva, director of the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro (Higher Institute for Conservation and Restoration); Stella Falzone, director of the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto; Filippo La Rosa, director for the promotion of Italian culture and language at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI); and Massimo Osanna, director general of Museums at the Ministry of Culture (MiC).

Ori di Taranto, the jewels of Princess Opaka Sabaleida on display in Canosa

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.