Gold Artifacts from Pompeii Return to Naples’ Mann Museum After Half a Century
Naples, May 18, 2026 – One hundred and thirty gold jewels, precious metals, and gems are once again on display after fifty years at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN). Among the refined Greek, Italic, Magna Graecia, Etruscan, Roman, and Late Antique examples, the gold artifacts from Pompeii shine, which the Vesuvian inhabitants tried to save during their escape from the eruption, found on their bodies as well as in domus and public buildings.
Arranged like in the windows of the most refined brands, with a perfectly contemporary taste and seemingly ready to be worn, these gold pieces are the highlight of the renovated Numismatic section of the MANN, which will open on May 25.
A Museum Within a Museum: The Renovated Numismatic Section
This section is described as a ‘museum within a museum,’ featuring six thousand coins, medals, dies, and punches, along with many other archaeological materials that guide visitors through the discovery of economy in the Greek, Roman, medieval, Renaissance, and modern worlds. Of exceptional importance are the rare gold fabrics from the Vesuvian excavations, which are being presented again after meticulous restoration, carried out in collaboration with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence.
“The reopening of the Numismatic section crowns the rigorous study and research activities in the rich Coin Cabinet of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, an exceptional collection not only for the number of specimens preserved – approximately 160,000 – but also for its temporal extension and the variety of mints. We present a renovated and more accessible collection, with bilingual apparatus, made even more fascinating by the in-depth study of ancient jewels, which provide an extremely interesting insight into the taste and design of the past,” explained Francesco Sirano, General Director of the MANN.
Careful Restoration and New Additions
Curated by Renata Cantilena and Floriana Miele, with the scientific collaboration of Lucia Amalia Scatozza, the section, which originally opened in 2001, also features the restoration of historical furnishings and the cleaning and restoration of all exhibited specimens, as well as an update of the lighting and video surveillance system in the display cases. Among the novelties for the public, in addition to the jewels, are a precious hoard of coins from the Caupona of Salvius in Pompeii and an important funerary inscription of a nummularius (a type of money changer in the Roman context). Among the most celebrated finds is the Augustan Medallion, discovered in Pompeii in 1759, valued at 4 gold denarii and bearing the effigy of the ‘father of the nation’.
The return of these magnificent artifacts marks a significant cultural event for Naples and Italy, offering a unique opportunity to explore the rich history and craftsmanship of ancient civilizations.
Source: https://www.ansa.it/campania/notizie/2026/05/18/gli-ori-del-mann-di-napoli-tornano-esposti-dopo-50-anni_b287e9fb-4d08-42e6-a3a6-53ba9d57fb59.html
