Museo Ipogeo Spartano di Taranto (Spartan Museum of Taranto), Taranto

The Spartan Museum offers a rare glimpse into the Spartan origins of Taranto, an ancient colony founded in the 8th century BC by exiled Spartans known as the Parthenians. Unlike traditional museums, this historical site is entirely underground, housed within the Beaumont Bonelli Palace, also known as the Bellacicco Hypogeum. Upon entering through an unassuming doorway marked by a red sign, visitors descend approximately 16 meters below street level and four meters below sea level, stepping into an 800-square-meter network of ancient chambers.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Spartan Museum is its setting within Taranto’s former acropolis, the sacred heart of the Greek city-state, where religious rituals and political meetings took place. The hypogeum also served practical functions, as evidenced by a tunnel leading directly to the sea, possibly used for trade, water transport, or military purposes. The stone quarried from this site is believed to have been used in the construction of important Greek temples, including the one whose remains can still be seen today in Piazza Castello, marked by the iconic Two Columns of Taranto.

Through its exhibits, the museum traces the evolution of the city from its Spartan foundation through the Roman era, the Middle Ages, and into the 17th century, when the Beaumont Bonelli Palace was constructed. The four exhibition halls of the hypogeum not only preserve ancient relics but also serve as a venue for modern artistic and historical displays, reinforcing the city’s continuous link between past and present.

Since opening to the public in 2015, the Spartan Museum of Taranto has become one of the most visited historical attractions in the city, drawing nearly 45,000 visitors in its first year alone, placing it just behind the Aragonese Castle and the National Archaeological Museum (MarTa) in popularity.