Museum and Archaeological Area of Naxos
The Museum and Archaeological Area of Naxos preserves the remains of Naxos, the first Greek colony established in Sicily, founded around 734 BC by settlers from Chalcis and Naxos in the Aegean. Situated on the promontory of Schisò near Giardini Naxos, the site encompasses excavated urban remains, a portion of the ancient city walls, and a museum housing finds that document seven centuries of Greek colonial life on the island.
At a glance
- Type
- Archaeological area and regional museum
- Period
- Founded c. 734 BC; occupied through the 4th century BC
- Style
- Archaic to Classical Greek colonial settlement
- Location
- Via Stazione Vecchia, 98035 Giardini Naxos, Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily
- Coordinates
- 37.8239° N, 15.2738° E
Overview
Naxos holds the distinction of being the oldest Greek colony in Sicily, predating even Syracuse by a year or two. The settlement on the Schisò promontory was established as a staging post and sanctuary by Chalcidian Greeks under the oikist Theocles, who recognised the strategic position at the mouth of the Alcantara (ancient Akesines) river. Although the city was destroyed by the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius I in 403 BC, its archaeological layers offer an exceptionally complete record of early Greek colonisation in the western Mediterranean.
History
According to ancient sources, Naxos was founded in 734 BC, one year before Syracuse, by colonists from Chalcis on the Greek island of Euboea who had briefly stopped at Naxos in the Cyclades. The city grew as a trade hub and cult centre — a sanctuary of Apollo Archegetes at the landing site was considered sacred by all Sicilian Greeks. Naxos allied with Athens against Syracuse in the late 5th century BC, a decision that contributed to its eventual destruction by Dionysius I in 403 BC, when the population was sold into slavery and the city razed. The site was never reoccupied as an urban centre.
What you see
Visitors can walk sections of the ancient city walls constructed in large lava blocks, and explore the outlines of residential insulae (urban blocks) revealed by excavation. The Museo Archeologico di Naxos, housed in a former Bourbon fortress at the entrance to the site, displays pottery, coins, architectural terracottas, votive objects, and bronze tools recovered over decades of systematic excavation. Highlights include Chalcidian pottery of the 8th–7th centuries BC and a collection of antefixes (roof ornaments) that illustrate the refinement of early Greek decorative art in Sicily.
Cultural significance
As the first point of Greek settlement in Sicily, Naxos is a foundational site in the history of Mediterranean colonisation and the transmission of Greek culture to the western world. The site is protected as part of the Parco Archeologico di Naxos-Taormina, reflecting its regional and national importance as an anchor of Sicilian identity and a key reference point for understanding the Greek heritage of southern Italy.
Practical information
The museum and archaeological area are open daily except certain public holidays; admission fee applies. Check the official Parco Archeologico di Naxos-Taormina website for current opening hours and guided tour schedules.
Getting there
Giardini Naxos is served by the Taormina-Giardini railway station, which sits directly adjacent to the site entrance. Regular trains run from Messina (45 min) and Catania (40 min). By car, exit the A18 motorway at Giardini Naxos and follow signs for the archaeological park, located near the seafront.