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Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Archaeology Jérôme-Carcopino, labeled Musée de France, is located in the Fort de Matra in Aleria (Haute-Corse). This fort, classified as a historical monument in 1962, initially housed an archaeological deposit created in 1963 to preserve the discoveries of the pre-Roman necropolis and the ancient city of Aleria. In 1969, he took the name of historian Jérôme Carcopino, a controversial figure for his role under Vichy but whose influence enabled him to obtain funding for the excavations. The museum became departmental in 1978, before being transferred to the Community of Corsica in 2018.

The permanent collections, spread over two levels, trace the history of Aleria and Corsica, from Protohistory to the end of the Roman Empire. The ground floor is dedicated to Etruscan necropolises, including Casabianda, with rooms of major scientific importance, ranked second after those of the Louvre. Exposed objects, such as attic craters, kylix or rhytons, illustrate cultural exchanges in the Mediterranean, especially with Etruscan civilization. The courtyard houses a lion statue from the fourth century BC, an Etruscan funerary symbol.

The iconic pieces include an Etruscan dish engraved with the name Poplia Genucilia (IVth century BC), a crater representing the myth of Pirithoos, or a Carthaginian necklace in glass paste associated with the Egyptian god Bes. These artifacts bear witness to Greek, Etruscan and Punic influences in ancient Corsica. The museum also owes its development to archaeologists Jean and Laurence Jehasse, who led the excavations and museum between 1967 and 1978, laying the scientific bases for its collections.

Matra Fort, before becoming a museum, was a strategic military site. Its transformation into a cultural space reflects the importance of Corsican archaeological heritage, marked by successive occupations (Etrusks, Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians). Exposed objects, such as attic vases or oenochoes, reveal religious, funeral and daily practices, providing a unique insight into ancient Mediterranean civilizations.

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