Museo archeologico nazionale di Cividale del Friuli

About the museum

The museum was founded at the wish of Michele della Torre e Valsassina, canon and antiquarian scholar, who with the support of Emperor Francis I of Habsburg conceived a place to collect the finds that had emerged at Cividale and in its territory. It was established by imperial-royal decree in 1817 and was conceived from the start not only as a collection but also as a centre for the study of the city. Between 1817 and 1826 excavation campaigns located the large Lombard cemeteries, including the Cella burial ground, discovered in 1820–1821, the first Lombard necropolis excavated in Italy.

The present seat is the Palazzo dei Provveditori Veneti, built at the end of the 16th century to a design by Andrea Palladio, in Piazza Duomo. On the ground floor the lapidary section follows the history of the city from the Roman municipium of Forum Iulii to the patriarchal age and Venetian rule, with mosaics and inscriptions. The piano nobile is devoted to the Lombards: the grave goods of over five hundred tombs, weapons, jewels and the privileged burial of Gisulfo, the only Lombard princely tomb to have reached Italy intact, together with a collection of Lombard gold coins (aurei) from the Fondazione Friuli.

In the basements survive the remains of the Palazzo dei Patriarchi, demolished to build the Venetian palazzo, an intertwining of structures documenting about 1,500 years of urban history, which is the subject of a multimedia enhancement project. The museum is part of the UNESCO serial site “I Longobardi in Italia. I luoghi del potere (568–774 AD)”.

Highlights

• Lombard collection with the grave goods of over 500 tombs
• Burial of Gisulfo, the only Lombard princely tomb to have reached Italy intact
• Lombard gold coins (aurei) from the Fondazione Friuli
• Mosaics and inscriptions of Roman Forum Iulii
• Remains of the Palazzo dei Patriarchi in the basements
• Seat in the Palazzo dei Provveditori Veneti, designed by Palladio

Permanent exhibitions

• Cividale romana e patriarcale: la sezione lapidaria – On the ground floor, mosaics, inscriptions and architectural decorations tell the story of the city from the municipium of Forum Iulii to the patriarchal and Venetian ages.
• Cividale longobarda – On the piano nobile, grave goods, weapons, jewels and coins from the Lombard cemeteries, with the tomb of Gisulfo and the Lombard gold coins.
• Sotto il museo: l'area archeologica – In the basements survive the remains of the Palazzo dei Patriarchi, an intertwining of structures of about 1,500 years; the route is the subject of multimedia enhancement.

Founded

1817

Operated by

Ministero della Cultura

Visitors per year

approx. 30,986

Admission & discounts

Further reductions from the Ministry of Culture apply. There is an integrated ticket for the three museums of the UNESCO site “I Longobardi in Italia” in Cividale: Museo archeologico nazionale, Museo cristiano and Tesoro del Duomo, and Tempietto longobardo. Tickets are bought with the Musei Italiani app and on the relevant portal.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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 is accessible to people with motor disabilities in all exhibition sections and has a lift; the exception is the archaeological area in the basements, reachable only by stairs. For people with various degrees of physical and mental disability, a dedicated route can be arranged by writing to museoarcheocividale@cultura.gov.it.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Educational maps are available for the youngest visitors; guided routes, themed visits and workshop activities introduce the themes of archaeology in the form of play and discovery.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the centre of the town, at Piazza Duomo 13.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Free cloakroom at the entrance.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Spaces can be requested for purposes compatible with the institutional character of the site.

Plan your visit