MUSEO ANTIQUARIUM ARBORENSE

Palazzo Parpaglia, in neoclassical style, exhibits the archaeological treasures of the site of Tharros and the Sinis Peninsula. This museum, the most important in the city, brings together the collections of several budding archaeologists of the 19th century.

Efisio Pischedda Collection. In 1938 the Municipality of Oristano acquired the collection of this lawyer with a passion for archaeology. The testimonies collected in the tombs of Tharros and on the sites of ancient Nuraghes allow us to grasp the Sardinian history from the pre-nuraghic period to the early Middle Ages. Votive vases from the nuraghe of Sianeddu, Phoenician and Etruscan pottery from Santu Marcu, precious Punic vessels, oil lamps or Roman ointment flasks, oil lamps and ceramics from the Vandal and Byzantine periods are among the thousands of pieces found by Pichedda. On the same floor, Roman amphoras found in wrecks surround the model reconstructing the city of Tharros.

Angelo Carta Collection. It was donated by its owner in 1947 and includes some exceptional pieces, such as this Attic guttus with a Leonine prosthetic dating back to the^5th century BC. The Athenian oil lamp and goblet date from the same period. The collection also includes a large number of pottery and oil lamps from Imperial Rome.

Titino Sanna Delogu Collection. This collection was donated to the Antiquarium in 1966, the same year in which precious bronzes and jewellery pieces were stolen. The centrepiece is a sandstone statue of a mother goddess dating back to the Ozieri Culture. Also worthy of note are two Etruscan jugs and a farandole of kernophoroi, anthropomorphic incense burners that may represent the Greek goddess Demeter.

The Pepetto Pau collection. This collection includes ceramic and stone pieces dating back to the pre-nuragic era and the Roman period. These include a bean-shaped clay weight, a vase from the Campaniform Culture, a complete askos from the 7th century BC and very beautiful remains from the Phoenician period.

The Cominacini-Boy collection. This collection, donated in 1994, includes 25 pieces found in the Roman necropolis of San Giovanni di Sinis, including a Phoenician cinerary urn, a beautifully turned askos and Byzantine tableware.

The Vitiello d'Urso collection. This donation has only 4 objects, but they are in very good condition and tell the story of the first pottery factories.