Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi

Marsala


Marsala's finest treasure is the partially reconstructed remains of a Carthaginian liburna (warship) sunk off the Egadi Islands during the First Punic War. Displayed alongside objects from its cargo, the ship's bare bones provide the only remaining physical evidence of the Phoenicians' seafaring superiority in the 3rd century BC, offering a glimpse of a civilisation extinguished by the Romans.

Among the objects found on board the ship and displayed here are ropes, cooking pots, corks from amphorae, a brush, olive stones, a sailor's wooden button and even a stash of cannabis. In an adjacent room, the impressive wreck of a Roman merchant vessel dating to the 3rd or 4th century AD is displayed. A third room displays other regional archaeological artefacts including a marble statue known as La venere di lilybaeum (The Venus of Lilybaeum) and some mosaics from the 3rd and 5th centuries AD.

Post-museum, don't miss an explorative stroll in the museum gardens, aka the Insula Romana, a vast archaeological site encompassing the remains of a 3rd-century Roman villa and a well-preserved Decumanus Maximus (Roman ceremonial road) paved with giant stones.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Marsala attractions

1. Porta Nuova

0.27 MILES

This old town gate marks the western edge of Marsala's historic centre.

2. Museo degli Arazzi Fiammingi

0.38 MILES

Tapestry fans should check out this tiny museum displaying eight 16th-century Flemish tapestries, woven in Brussels for Spanish King Philip II.

3. Chiesa del Purgatorio

0.39 MILES

This beautiful 18th-century church (1771), with showy, heavily sculpted facade, is a fine example of Sicilian baroque architecture – as is the ornate…

4. Piazza della Repubblica

0.41 MILES

Marsala's most elegant piazza is dominated by the imposing Chiesa Madre. Just across the way, on the eastern side of the square, is the arcaded Palazzo…

5. Complesso Monumentale San Pietro

0.42 MILES

Housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century convent, this arts centre is home to an intriguing complex of small museums. Most noteworthy is the upstairs…

6. Porta Garibaldi

0.42 MILES

This old town gate marks the southern edge of Marsala's historic centre.

7. Palazzo VII Aprile

0.46 MILES

This lovely arcaded palazzo, formerly known as the Palazzo Senatorio (Senatorial Palace), is now Marsala's town hall.

8. Museo Whitaker

5.08 MILES

This museum on San Pantaleo island, 10km north of Marsala, houses a unique collection of Phoenician artefacts assembled over decades by amateur…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "italy/sicily/marsala/attractions/museo-archeologico-baglio-anselmi/a/poi-sig/1041139/360022",
      "destination": "Marsala",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Italy",
      "region": "Sicily",
      "city": "Marsala",
      "position": "superzone"
    }