Museo archeologico nazionale di Aquileia

About the museum

The museum was founded as the Imperial Regio Museo di Aquileia and opened on 3 August 1882 in the presence of Archduke Charles Louis of Habsburg. Its seat is Villa Cassis, the private residence of the noble Cassis Faraone family, purchased by the Habsburg state. The initial display arranged the finds by type and material, according to an antiquarian criterion, and was renewed several times over the twentieth century.

The stone galleries were built to house the large quantity of stone finds from the area: work began in 1898, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph; the first wing was completed by 1908 to a design by Georg J. W. Neumann, and the second in 1939. In the 1950s further galleries were added, along with the “Grandi magazzini” storerooms. At the end of the 1970s the naval section was set up for the restoration of a Roman boat discovered at Villa della Punta, near Monfalcone.

The latest major redisplay, completed in 2018, turned the route into eight thematic sections that present Aquileia as a great Mediterranean port, a crossroads of goods, languages and cultures for over seven centuries. In November 2024 the visitable storerooms opened: six rooms with over 5,000 stone artefacts and many other finds in glass, bone, metal and ceramic, together with the mosaics of the Grandi Terme. The museum is part of the network of the National Museums of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Highlights

• Eight-section route through Villa Cassis, from the Roman city to everyday life
• Over 800 gems and cameos, and the jewellery and amber objects of Aquileian production
• Portraits of the ancient inhabitants, sculptures and mosaics
• Visitable storerooms with over 5,000 stone artefacts
• Stone galleries with funerary monuments and garden with the enclosure of the Curii
• Audio-described tactile route on 11 original artefacts

Permanent exhibitions

• Villa Cassis: il percorso del museo – Eight sections on three floors portray Roman Aquileia: the city and its territory, public space, necropolises, domus, the port, productive activities and luxury, with a room devoted to over 800 gems.
• Depositi visitabili – Six rooms covering over 500 square metres display more than 5,000 stone artefacts and many finds in glass, bone, metal and ceramic, as well as the mosaics of the Grandi Terme.
• Gallerie lapidarie e giardino – Two quadriporticos around Villa Cassis with inscriptions, reliefs and funerary monuments, the mosaic collection and the funerary enclosure of the Curii in the garden; some areas are closed for works.

Founded

1882

Operated by

Ministero della Cultura – Musei nazionali del Friuli Venezia Giulia

Visitors per year

approx. 46,033

Admission & discounts

The museum applies the Ministry of Culture's fee concessions (including free admission for ICOM members, EU tourist guides and interpreters, journalists and teachers, among others). Admission is free for holders of the FVG Card; the museum is included in the FVGcard and FVGcard Aquileia & Grado circuits. Tickets can also be bought at museitaliani.it.

Accessibility

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

The visit route is free of architectural barriers and accessible in all its parts to people with motor disabilities; there is a lift. A tactile map of the complex is available in the reception area; seating is provided along the route and, at the ticket office and at various points, portable stools. For blind and partially sighted visitors, an audio description system in Italian and English guides the tactile exploration of 11 original artefacts. An app offers video guides in LIS for the room texts. On booking, the educational service organises visits and workshops for people with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

The educational service periodically organises events for families. On request at the ticket office, children receive the “Il museo in gioco” kit free of charge: a backpack with a map, an exploration diary with observation games, crayons, scissors and a magnifying glass. The family keeps the diary and map, while the backpack and tools are returned at the end of the visit.

Getting there & parking

By car: leave the A23 at the Palmanova exit, then head south on the SR 352 for about fifteen kilometres to the centre of Aquileia. The museum entrance is on Via Roma, beside Via Iulia Augusta. Aquileia is connected to the Ciclovia Alpe Adria.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop at the ticket office.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit