The Hippana Archaeological Museum opened in 1999 and was named after the ancient Greek city. It is divided into three sections: archaeology, palaeontology, and mineralogy.
The Archaeological Section preserves the finds discovered by the Superintendency of Palermo during the excavations of the ancient city of Hippana, located on the Montagna Dei Cavalli, opposite Prizzi and in the heart of the Sicani Mountains. Upon entering, one can observe a series of explanation panels with the site’s location, photos of the excavation work, and detailed and meticulous descriptions.
Among the most significant finds are two fragments of gilded silver diadems: a gilded silver plate depicting a three-headed bearded face, probably a deity and presumably set in the hilt of a dagger.
The central room displays a variety of objects: transport amphorae with a peculiar ‘torpedo’ shape; kalypteres, ancient tiles; a pyx decorated on both sides; several gutti (terracotta pouring vessels), one of which is black-glazed, decorated with a jellyfish head in relief; a lekane, a sort of large ancient Greece bowl depicting two female heads between plants and palmettes; polychrome glass alabastron, decorated with yellow, white and blue zigzag lines, used for storing perfumes, tears or ointments; lekythos, long-necked ointment jars.
The Numismatic Section offers valuable evidence of early Hellenistic coin circulation. It houses some very rare coins with the inscription IPA, which can be traced back to the mint of Hippana. In the Palaeontological Section, fossils from various parts of Sicily are exhibited, witnessing the island’s geological evolution over the last 250 million years. In the Mineralogical Section, there are minerals from Sardinian mineral deposits and several panels illustrating their main properties.
