Occupied by ancient peoples as from the 5th millennium BCE, the Canne della Battaglia archaeological site is primarily known for the terrible battle of 2 August 216 BCE during the Second Punic War, which saw the Romans routed by the Carthaginians under Hannibal. The perfectly preserved battlefield, where a Roman army of over 80,000 men was wiped out in a single day, can be seen stretching away into the distance from the top of the citadel. In the Antiquarium, archaeological items combine with words and images to tell the long story of the settlement on the hills dominating the valley of the once navigable Ofanto river. Interactive multimedia devices offer a virtual tour of the citadel and a detailed account of the battle and its leading figures. The 3D video reconstruction makes full immersion possible in History with a capital H.

Canne della Battaglia is the place where Hannibal concentrated his smarts. Here, he deployed his Carthaginian troops to perform a military manouevre known as the “Pincer movement”, one that is still studied to this day. Taking advantage of the wind and sun, he defeated the far better-organized Romans. Looking down on the field from the promontory above, where no construction has ever been erected, I imagined those thousands of soldiers, how much time and energy they put into the battle, how terrified they must have been. Under an August sun, a huge throng of people, man against man, each one with his own story. And I wondered: what kind of journey did these soldiers have to make to get to Canne? Some of them must have become friends. Some of them must have got bored; others will have been overcome by wonder. Some of them perhaps bedded down far from camp...

5th millennium BCE This terracotta statuette represents the Mother Goddess, symbol of fertility, giver of life and guardian of the crops that feed mankind. She is shown in a robe decorated with large circles with her arms outstretched as though in prayer and offering.

6th century BCE This bronze helmet most probably belonged to a warrior of the Daunian tribe. A protective inner lining of hide or fabric could be attached with stitches through the holes along the edges. Battles were fought in the area of Canne in ancient times and all through the Middle Ages.

6th century BCE This horse-shaped bronze element was the lateral part of a bit, fitted inside a horse's mouth to control its movements, and the rings served to attach the reins and harness. It was found in a tomb among the grave goods and indicates that the deceased was of high social rank. According to legend, it was the Greek hero Diomedes that taught the Daunian people living in the northern part of Apulia how to break and tame horses.

First half of the 12th century This image of carved ivory represents the believers' struggle against the forces of evil threatening to damn their souls.The small carving probably adorned a crozier, the staff carried as a symbol of pastoral office by bishops, abbots and abbesses.