Museum of the Dancing Satyr in Mazara del Vallo

La Sicilia bears on its splendid territory the vestiges of its intense past, made up of conquests but also of dominations by peoples such as the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans and the Arabs: think for example of the Greek Theater of Taormina, To Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and all 'ancient city of Selinunte. Then there are the museums that contain artifacts found on the Sicilian territory and in the sea that surrounds it: the Museum of the Dancing Satyr, Mazara del Vallo, is to be considered one of the most important museum spaces in Sicily, guardian, among other things, of the bronze statue of the Dancing Satyr.

The Museum of the Dancing Satyr: historical notes

Il Museum of the Dancing Satyr stands within the old Church of Sant'Egidio in Mazara del Vallo. The building dates back to the 500th century and belonged to a confraternity which included intellectuals, artists and professionals. The museum contains part of the culture of Sicily, linked to a glorious past still kept in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

La statue of the Dancing Satyr it is the real jewel of the museum and seems to date back to the III-II BC (according to the University of Roma Tre it could instead be dated to the IV BC) and would have been recovered from a ship sunk between Capo Bon (in Tunisia) and the Sicilian island of Pantelleria. The statue would be the representation of the Satyr Periboetes also mentioned by Pliny and was found, in two parts, between 1997 and 1998 by the fishing boat "Capitan Ciccio" of Mazara del Vallo. Restored by the Roman Central Institute for Restoration, the statue of the Dancing Satyr was also exhibited at the Capitoline Museums and Montecitorio a Roma.

The Museum of the Dancing Satyr: works of art contained

Il Museum of the Dancing Satyr guards the Dancing Satyr, 2 m high bronze sculpture. which shows a mythological figure in ecstasy and drunk with wine: the hair is suspended in the air and the mouth is just half closed, completely in a trance while he dances on one leg, almost passing out. Based on the XNUMXth-century iconography of the Dancing Satyr, this sculpture is also presumed to have held the thyrsus, a sort of knotted stick decorated with a pine cone and a ribbon, and then a kantharos (a goblet of wine). On the shoulders then the Satyr wears the skin of a panther.

In addition to the Dancing Satyr, the museum exhibits other finds such as amphorae, an askos from the XNUMXnd century. BC, a spatheion of the fifth century. AD originally from North Africa, Ionic and Corinthian capitals and a bronze cauldron from the Middle Ages.

What to see around the Dancing Satyr Museum

Il Museum of the Dancing Satyr is located in Mazara del Vallo, a village in the province of Trapani located on the banks of the Màzaro river, just 200 km from the Tunisian coast. There are many things to see in the town, starting from the Church of San Francesco rebuilt in the 600th century Baroque to the Cathedral of the Holy Savior: dates back to the XNUMXth century, it was built on the remains of a previous Saracen site and today shows a beautiful dome decorated with majolica. Equally beautiful is the Church of San Nicolò Regale, beautiful building of Arab-Norman origin located right on the banks of the Màzaro: it dates back to 1124 and shows a mix of styles inside.
Strolling for Mazara del Vallo, we arrive at the labyrinthine neighborhood of the Kasbah, where the houses are embellished with colorful Middle Eastern-style tiles and the streets show colorful paintings.

Then there is theNorman Arch, which is what remains of the castle built in the year 1000 at the behest of Ruggero I d'Altavilla.
Not far from the center of Mazara del Vallo arise the Capo Feto Nature Reserve, a true naturalistic jewel where precious species of flora and fauna are preserved, but above all the archaeological site of Roccazzo, rich in the remains of trenches, rock tombs and huts.

Recommended activities for a tour in Trapani and its surroundings

How to get to Mazara del Vallo

To visit the Museum of the Dancing Satyr and its treasures of inestimable historical value, it is necessary to reach Mazara del Vallo: by car from Trapani, about 51 km away, you have to take the SS115 which passes through Marsala. Coming from Palermo instead, the way to go is the E90.