Museo archeologico nazionale di Chiavari
State museum in Palazzo Rocca in Chiavari, with grave goods from the Ligurian necropolis of the early Iron Age and evidence of medieval Chiavari.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo archeologico nazionale di Chiavari was founded in 1985 to house the finds from the excavations of the town's protohistoric necropolis. The collection derives largely from the campaigns carried out in Viale Millo between 1959 and 1969, during which 126 cremation tombs of the Ligurian Tigulli were discovered, one of the most important testimonies of the early Iron Age in Italy. Over the years the collection has grown and strengthened its vocation as a town museum.
The museum occupies the ground floor of the 17th-century Palazzo Rocca, designed by the architect Bartolomeo Bianco and built between 1629 and 1630 by joining two existing buildings that leaned against the medieval city walls. The route still shows a well with a square shaft and some equipment from the 17th-century stables. The palace was bought in 1903 by Giuseppe Rocca, a native of Chiavari, who left it to the municipality in 1912 together with the garden, now the Parco botanico di Villa Rocca.
The display, expanded in 2021, starts with the history of the territory and its raw materials, such as jasper and copper minerals. It passes through the grave goods of the cist tombs of the necropolis, among cinerary urns, vessels, gold earrings and objects of exchange with the Etruscan world and Magna Graecia, and reaches the finds from the urban excavations of medieval Chiavari. The museum falls under the Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Liguria and also manages a specialised archaeological library of more than 3,000 volumes.
Highlights
- Funerary goods from the necropolis of the Ligurian Tigulli (7th century BC)
- Cinerary urn from tomb 10 with an animal-shaped lid
- Gold earrings and objects of exchange with the Etruscans and Magna Graecia
- Late Bronze Age skull found outside tomb 39
- Finds from medieval Chiavari, including majolica ceramics
- Well and 17th-century stable equipment in Palazzo Rocca
- Founded
- 1985
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Liguria
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Young people aged 18 to 25 |
| Plus ticket (with a paper guide to the museum in Italian or English) | €8 |
Free admission for the categories provided for state museums (list on the museum's website). Tickets can be bought at the museum or online at museiitaliani.it.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- 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: no information
The museum is accessible to people with mobility impairments and to families with pushchairs. At the entrance there is a short introductory video in LIS (Italian Sign Language). On request, a tactile route with reproductions of finds can be arranged.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
Free kit to make independent visits fun, children's workshops (“Racconti da museo”) and activities in collaboration with Kidpass; baby changing table in the restroom.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours and workshops for schools are free but require a compulsory booking; for families, guided tours are free by booking. One room of the museum is dedicated to educational and research activities. |
