The marble was already ancient when they chose it for her. They had sculpted it in the 2nd century AD, and it was up to that Roman stone to guard Eremburga of Mortain, second wife of Roger I of Altavilla: the Norman who had made Miletus the center of his Calabrian dominions. The sarcophagus was in the ancient cathedral. Then he moved. Or almost. A fragment remained in the town, the rest ended up in Naples, at the National Archaeological Museum. On October 23, thanks to a long-term loan, the pieces will return together in the National Museum of Mileto: Francesco Serrano, who directs the Neapolitan museum, will also be there. First stage towards the Year of the Normans, 2027.
Mileto is one of the 12 places of culture that the Regional Directorate of National Museums of Calabria has restored with Pnrr funds. The budget will be presented on Tuesday 13 October in Cosenza, at Palazzo Arnone. They are construction sites designed for visitors, “made” of removed architectural barriers and refurbished systems. The resources went from one location to another, where the urgency was greatest: in some buildings new windows were needed, elsewhere the air conditioning needed to be redone.
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