Guide · Sperlonga

Tiberius Villa in Sperlonga: landscape and the myth of Ulysses

The seaside villa, great natural grotto and sculpture groups reconstructed in the museum presented as one complex.

Excavations in the villa area uncovered more than fifteen thousand marble fragments in 1957. The museum, opened in 1963, was created to reconstruct and display the monumental sculptures associated with the maritime villa and its natural grotto.

Ulysses in the museum

The reconstructed groups depict episodes from the Ulysses cycle: the theft of the Palladium, Ulysses and Achilles, Scylla attack and the Blinding of Polyphemus. The head of Ulysses is one of the finds that makes the sculptural programme immediately recognisable.

Villa, grotto and sculptures

The works were not separate from their setting: they interacted with the cave and the architecture of the seaside residence. Visiting the museum first therefore helps visitors read the archaeological area as the original stage for the narrative.

Notices to check

As checked on 30 August 2026, the Ministry page reports that the grotto is temporarily closed for extraordinary maintenance. The archaeological area may close in bad weather and is not accessible to visitors with motor disabilities. Always check the latest Ministry notices before visiting.

This guide was written with the help of artificial intelligence from real sources, under the editorial responsibility of our team. Always verify times and details at the source. How we use AI