Housed in the Villa Frigerj in the public park below the old town, the National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo is the most important museum in the region — and one of the best small archaeology museums in Italy. The collection traces the prehistoric and Italic civilisations of Abruzzo before the Roman conquest: the Vestini, the Picenes, the Samnites. The star piece is the Warrior of Capestrano, a sixth-century BC stone soldier in his enormous disc helmet, with his ornate weaponry intact.
Other rooms cover Italic bronzes, votive offerings, jewellery, and a stretch of Roman-era material from the local sites. The villa itself is worth a look for its frescoed interiors. Allow at least an hour, more if you read the labels carefully. Closed on Mondays.