Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Sarsina
State museum with Roman finds from Sarsina and the Savio valley: inscriptions, mosaics and the great Mausoleum of Rufo.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum in Sarsina was founded in 1890 by Antonio Santarelli and initially consisted mainly of Roman inscriptions. Between 1927 and 1939 the collection was enlarged with material from the Roman necropolis of Pian di Bezzo; in 1957 the State purchased the museum. In the 1980s the Comune di Sarsina and the Soprintendenza archeologica di Bologna (Archaeological Superintendency of Bologna) extended and renovated it. Since 2014 it has been managed by the Ministry of Culture through the Polo museale dell'Emilia-Romagna, today the Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Emilia-Romagna (Regional Directorate of National Museums of Emilia-Romagna).
The building, in the historic centre of Sarsina, extends over two floors and houses testimonies from prehistory to Late Antiquity, mostly from the Roman period, coming from Sarsina and the Savio valley. The first rooms present inscriptions, including the regulation of Orazio Balbo and the funerary cippus of Secunda; they are followed by architectural and urban elements, the monument of Publio Verginio Peto and the large mosaic with the triumph of Dionysus.
Among the most imposing pieces is the Mausoleum of Rufo, over thirteen metres high, built at the end of the 1st century BC. Other rooms house statues linked to the Eastern cults of Magna Mater, Serapis and Attis, objects of everyday life and grave goods from the necropolis, mosaic floors and a reconstruction of the triclinium of a domus with the mosaic of the drunken Hercules.
Highlights
- Mausoleum of Rufo, over thirteen metres high
- Mosaic with the triumph of Dionysus
- Roman inscriptions, including the regulation of Orazio Balbo
- Grave goods from the Pian di Bezzo necropolis
- Reconstruction of the triclinium with the mosaic of the drunken Hercules
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione archeologica romana di Sarsina e della valle del Savio – Inscriptions, mosaics, grave goods, statues of Eastern cults and the Mausoleum of Rufo, in a two-storey building in the historic centre.
- Founded
- 1890
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Emilia-Romagna
- Visitors per year
- approx. 5,269
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Citizens of the European Union aged 18 to 25 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of the month and on certain dates of the year (25 April, 2 June, 4 August, 28 August, the feast of the patron saint San Vicinio, 4 November).
Prices as listed on the Ministry of Culture pages dedicated to the museum's events; other free admission and reductions follow the national rules for state museums. Online ticketing via the Musei Italiani portal.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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 Musei Italiani portal indicates access for people with disabilities; for details on the route, please contact the museum.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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 |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum offers guided tours and activities on the occasion of events, such as the Notte dei Musei (Museum Night), the Giornate Europee del Patrimonio (European Heritage Days) and the feast of the patron saint San Vicinio. Groups may book access on some weekdays. |
