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Daskyleion

Hellenistic Period

The findings of Hellenistic Period prove that Daskyleion continued its existence as an important center in this period as well. 'The Pearl Wall' which is a terrace wall is the most beautiful architectural example of the period. Blocks assembled from earlier periods have been used in the building of this wall. These blocks which have delicately embroidered pearls and egg series, are thought to have belonged to a satrap palace in the Achaemenid Period.

The bullas found in Daskyleion were discovered in a fire layer making it possible for them to survive to this day. Bullas are important for the writing and the symbols that they carry. 'Aramaic', Old Persian and 'Greek' scripts were discovered over them. They also depict birds and hunting scenes which must have been the wildlife in Daskyleion's Paradeisos.

Certain dishes that are known to have been used by the Persian nobles and very few 'Dareikos' and 'Syglos'are all proof to a Persian life in the area.

In the last years a road paved with marble and andesite blocks was discovered in the excavations on the eastern side of the hill. This was the road to the entrance of the city during the Hellenistic Period and the various nails and decayed wood pieces that were found at the top of the hill indicate that the gate was located there.

This road was used during the Byzantine Period as well and during that time the gate was moved further down.

Other than the buildings on the hill, spread out within 2 kilometers around the site there are numerous tumulus tombs. Some of these tumuli have been dug and restored during Tomris Bakir's time. The Kosemtug tumulus is one of the rare tumuli in Anatolia to have a well preserved tomb chamber. The tomb that has been dated as the second half of 4th century B.C. is thought to have belonged to a Macedonian commander. The most striking discovery in the tumulus is the Phrygia script found on an assembled stone block over the dromos wall.

The findings of the ancient city are being displayed in the Bandirma Archeological Museum.

The Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art

Founded in 1997, the Diocesan Museum of Catanzaro is owned by the diocese of Catanzaro-Squillace and occupies part of the city's 18th century Episcopal Palace, which was rebuilt after the 1943 bombings. Most of the works come from the diocesan churches, but also from purchases and private donations. Arranged according to type, the three rooms of the museum house valuable sacred furnishings as well as interesting paintings, some by artists of the calibre of Mattia Preti. Marble fragments from the cathedral and other ecclesiastical buildings in Catanzaro are embedded in the walls of the atrium. In the first room, next to a series of educational panels illustrating the history of the Diocese of Calabria and the architectural history of Catanzaro's - cathedral, there is a fragment of a 19*' century fresco on a pedestal, and various paintings hang on the walls.

Among these, two paintings of Jesus among the physicians and the Deposition are worth noting. While in the former, a 17 century oil on canvas from the Preti school, the painter's use of light can be appreciated, it shows none of Preti's virtuosity. The excellent, late 19 century painting of the Deposition shows several Divisionist elements. Of great historical interest is the parchment of the Papal Bull by Paul III for the erection of the Confraternity of the Corpus Domini in Spadola.

In the second room, sacred vestments, paintings and liturgical objects from various churches in the diocese are displayed, while some archaeological finds from IV-V c. AD are preserved in a glass case. There are some fragments of everyday pottery, and remarkable fragments of bronze earrings. Most of the paintings are products of popular “pietas", but The Pentecost by Domenico Leto (XVIII c.), a Madonna with Child (XVIII c.), the St Nicholas the Bishop by Mattia Preti (1613-1699), an Our Lady of Grace (XVIII c.) and an oil painting portraying the Nativity by Francesco Saverio Mergolo stand out. The St. Nicholas is one of the works in which the artist's knowledge of Naples and Rome is apparent: it is constructed on a diagonal, occupying the whole surface of the canvas, and silhouetted against a dark background. It can be dated to the mid-17th century, when Preti was at the height of his career. Mergolo's Nativity is a masterpiece of play of light with an intimist quality, typical of this artist from Serra San Bruno. Divided into two parts, attention is drawn to the central area of the composition, where the light focusses.