Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Vicentino

About the museum

The museum opened in 1995, after almost ten years of excavations in the PEEP area of Santorso, where one of the most important settlements of the Second Iron Age in Veneto came to light. An initial educational display had already been presented in 1985 at the Timonchio primary school, to involve the children in the discoveries of those years.

The collection was founded as a study centre for the Alto Vicentino, an area linked to the so-called Magrè culture, which used its own Rhaetic alphabet and based its economy on agriculture, weaving and metalworking. The museum works with the Soprintendenza ai beni archeologici del Veneto (heritage authority for archaeological heritage in Veneto) on research and excavations, such as those on Monte Summano, and on the study of weaving tools from the pre-Roman and Roman periods.

The display follows chronological order in three sections: the sites of the Alto Vicentino from the Late Neolithic to the Second Iron Age; the village of Santorso with the reconstruction of its workshop-house; and finally the Roman and medieval periods, with coin hoards and funerary goods. Models made with local schools and a working vertical loom help visitors understand everyday life in antiquity.

Highlights

• Square-mouthed vases from the Bocca Lorenza cave (Neolithic)
• Anthropomorphic vessel handle from the Santorso workshop-house
• Bronze votive statuettes, including a figure of Hercules, from Monte Summano
• Reconstructed and working vertical loom
• Coin hoards from a 3rd-century AD house and grave goods from the Sarcedo necropolis

Permanent exhibition

• Esposizione archeologica permanente – Finds from the excavations of the Alto Vicentino in chronological order, from the Late Neolithic to the early Middle Ages, with the reconstruction of the pre-Roman workshop-house of Santorso.

Founded

1995

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum listing indicates full access for persons with mobility impairments.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Routes designed for children, reconstruction models and a vertical loom that visitors can try; workshops such as a simulated archaeological dig, clay and weaving for schools.

Getting there & parking

The museum listing mentions parking and connections by public transport.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop, toilets and a conference room are listed.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit