From Pithekoussai to Parthenope: The Journey of Memory Continues

The votive relief of the Nymphs of Nitrodi returns to the island of Ischia at the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum in Lacco Ameno.
The inauguration will take place on 16 October, following its participation in the exhibition “Parthenope. The Mermaid and the City” at the MANN. Culture as a means of reconnecting the threads of history, deepening knowledge of the local area and building closer ties between institutions dedicated to research, heritage protection and enhancement. This is the significance of the initiative that will place the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum in the spotlight, where the votive relief of the Nymphs of Nitrodi will be on display from 16 October to 30 November 2026. The relief is held at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and comes from a group of marble reliefs discovered in 1757 near the Nitrodi spring in Barano d’Ischia. The inauguration is scheduled for Friday, 16 October, at 11:00 a.m. at the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum, in the presence of Dr Francesco Sirano, Director General of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples; Dr Maria Luisa Tardugno, archaeological officer responsible for the areas of Pozzuoli, Quarto, Procida and the island of Ischia, and Director of the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum; and local civil authorities. The exhibition continues the collaboration established between the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum and the SABAP-NA-Met Superintendency. In recent months, this partnership found significant expression in the exhibition “Parthenope. The Mermaid and the City”, which opened on 3 April and closed on 21 September at the MANN. The exhibition represented an important opportunity to showcase the history and identity of Naples through the myth of the mermaid Parthenope. It presented approximately 250 works, ranging from the 8th century BC to the present day, bringing together archaeological finds, artistic testimonies and artefacts unearthed during the most recent excavations associated with the construction of Naples Metro lines 1 and 6. As part of this exhibition, the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum contributed two particularly significant artefacts: the Shipwreck Krater and the Ino Krater. These objects highlight the central role of the sea in the imagination of the Greek colonial world and offer new insights into the iconography associated with the figure of the Mermaid. Now the journey continues in the opposite direction, symbolically bringing back to the island a work that forms part of its own history. Dating to the 2nd century AD, the votive relief of the Nymphs of Nitrodi depicts Apollo, holding a plectrum in his right hand, with a lyre resting on a tripod beside him, accompanied by the three Nymphs. The central figure holds a shell, while the two figures on either side rest an arm on an overturned hydria placed on a small pillar. The inscription carved into the relief – “T. Turrianus Dionusius Numphis donum dedit” – clarifies its nature as a votive offering, confirming the connection between the artefact, the worship of the deities and the therapeutic properties attributed to the waters of Nitrodi. The reliefs discovered near the spring bear witness to the enduring worship of the Nymphs and Apollo. They are particularly significant evidence of the Roman-era practice of healing through water, offering a valuable insight into the culture surrounding thermal waters in ancient Ischia. “Culture is about circulation: collaboration, shared knowledge and networks are key concepts in the work of heritage protection and enhancement carried out by state museums and superintendencies. Following the success of the exhibition ‘Parthenope. The Mermaid and the City’, held at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples in 2026 and enriched by cooperation with numerous institutions, including the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan Area of Naples, the journey can only continue. “The display of the votive relief of the Nymphs of Nitrodi at the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum, after it was exhibited at the MANN in the galleries dedicated to Pithekoussai, has a twofold significance. On the one hand, it symbolically returns a work of art to the island where it was discovered. On the other, it offers an interesting perspective on the historical and cultural foundations of the thermal treatments for which Ischia is famous throughout the world. A MANN artefact thus becomes an ambassador for a shared cultural heritage that has linked our territories, in the past and present alike, and invites people to discover the beauty of the Green Island,” says Francesco Sirano, Director General of the MANN. The significance of the initiative is also emphasised by the Mayor of Lacco Ameno, Senator Domenico De Siano, who points out that heritage protection cannot be separated from the ability to transform memory into knowledge. “Recovering the past means giving the present the opportunity to better understand who we are. Every trace of our history becomes even more valuable when it speaks to the community once again and offers an opportunity for younger generations to learn. “The relief of the Nymphs of Nitrodi is an ancient testimony that, through the work of cultural institutions, is once again engaging with our time. Knowing our roots allows us to understand the local area through everything that has taken shape, changed and been represented over the centuries. Preserving our heritage means safeguarding part of our identity and passing it on to the future with renewed and meaningful significance,” concludes the Mayor of Lacco Ameno. The exhibition of the votive relief represents another step in a cultural strategy based on the circulation of artworks, expertise and knowledge. It reflects the understanding that the island’s archaeological heritage is not an isolated entity, but part of a broader Mediterranean history in which Pithekoussai and Neapolis have been linked for centuries by cultural, economic and social relationships documented by archaeological research. The opportunity to admire once again on the island an artefact discovered in Ischia itself also carries powerful symbolic meaning: heritage returns to the places where its history began, helping to build a deeper understanding of the present. The exhibition will be open to visitors at the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum until 30 November 2026.