Palazzo Pantaleo and Civico Museo Etnografico “Alfredo Majorano”

HISTORY OF PALAZZO PANTALEO IN TARANTO
The residence was constructed by Baron Francesco Maria Pantaleo on the ruins of an older building.
Looking around you will understand that there was nothing random about the choice of location; in fact, nearby was the old port where the Baron could monitor the embarkation of his goods and the departing ships.

VISITING PALAZZO PANTALEO IN THE CIVICO MUSEO ETNOGRAFICO "ALFREDO MAJORANO"
Before entering, take a look at the harmonious façade facing the sea with its balconies with wrought iron railings and the large door topped by a loggia.
On the ground floor you can observe the well-preserved stables and carriage house, and on the mezzanine the servants’ apartments and the kitchen.
The large staircase will take you up to the upper floors whose rooms will amaze you for their sumptuous frescoes, precious majolica and elegant, recently-restored doors.

The second floor of the Palazzo hosts the ethnography collection of the museum named after Alfredo Majorano, a passionate student of popular Taranto traditions and collector of valuable artefacts.

The display consists of a series of themed rooms whose underlying motif is that of magical and religious rituals in the Taranto area. The exhibits include artefacts connected with the trades of yesteryear, the sea and the earth, but also with the world of recreation and devotion. There are also evocative recordings of popular songs collected in the 1950s, such as the song of those bitten by the tarantula, evidence of the curious phenomenon of tarantism.

Continue your journey in Puglia. Just over an hour from Taranto, in the heart of Alta Murgia National Park, you will find Altamura with its “Rete Museale Uomo di Altamura” consisting of the Altamura National Archaeological Museum, Palazzo Baldassarre and Lamalunga Visitor Centre.