Museo archeologico nazionale di Orvieto

Type:

Luoghi della cultura; Ente/Istituzione

Category:

Archaeology museums

The Museo archeologico nazionale di Orvieto is hosted on the ground floor of the medieval Palazzo Martino IV, one of the three Papal Palaces standing behind the Duomo of Orvieto.

The museum collects the most ancient and recent materials found, and together with the Faina Foundation Museum — located on the opposite side of Piazza Duomo — is a synthesis of the archaeological knowledge concerning Orvieto.

The National Archaeological Museum, being associated with the activities of research and study of the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici — the Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Umbria — and the scientific and cultural institutions operating in the regional territory, displays the finds coming out of the archaeological investigations and excavations, therefore it is in permanent evolution.

Inaugurated in 1982, the Museum exhibition displays materials — found in the territory up to the 19th century — previously held in the archaeological section pertaining to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo — the Museum of the Works on the Cathedral — known as MODO.

This collection of thousands of items was added to with the detached frescoes from the tombs of Golini in Porano, which had been held till 1982 in the Archeological Museum of Florence. Furthermore the conspicuous collection of the town’s most ancient finds, coming from the urban necropolises of the Crocefisso del Tufo and Cannicella, the Temples of Belvedere and Via San Leonardo and the surrounding territory, including the necropolises of Porano, Castellonchio and neighboring areas, were added to the collection.

The finds are arranged following the modern topographical museum criteria. The finds recovered from recent excavations — or on-going excavation — are displayed following a rotating plan, which allows the visitor to appreciate the constant achievement of new finds.