MAR – Museo Archeologico Regionale
Archaeological museum in Aosta in the former Challant barracks, above the remains of the Porta Principalis Sinistra, with finds from prehistory to the Middle Ages.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum is based in Piazza Roncas, in a historic palace in the centre of Aosta built over the Roman structures of the Porta Principalis Sinistra, the northern gate of the Roman city. In the medieval period a fortified house was built against the gate; in the 17th century the Visitation convent was founded there and in 1802, under Napoleon, the building became the Challant barracks.
The history of the collections begins with the Regio Museo di Antichità di Aosta, opened at the end of 1929 in the Sant'Orso complex thanks to the archaeologist Pietro Barocelli and the canon Justin Boson. In the 1960s, with the establishment of the Soprintendenza and systematic excavations, a new site was needed: after a temporary use of the Sarriod de la Tour castle in Saint-Pierre, the collections were transferred to the former barracks. The museum has displayed exhibits there since 1992, and on 15 October 2004 the MAR was officially opened to the public; the current route dates from 2010.
The museum offers a timeline of more than 5,000 years of the region's history across 14 rooms on the ground floor, almost entirely devoted to finds from ancient Augusta Praetoria. The collections include the Pautasso collection, with 720 coins on display (376 of them Celtic), and the Carugo collection of Egyptian, Etruscan and Mesopotamian objects, arranged like a collector's study. Visitors can also explore the archaeological underground of the Porta Principalis Sinistra.
Until December 2026 the museum is a participatory museum site called META\MAR.
Highlights
- Remains of the Porta Principalis Sinistra underground
- Finds from ancient Augusta Praetoria
- Pautasso collection of 720 coins, including 376 Celtic
- Carugo collection of Egyptian, Etruscan and Mesopotamian objects
- Chronological route across 14 rooms
- META\MAR project, a participatory museum site
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso archeologico del MAR – Timeline of more than 5,000 years of history with finds from ancient Augusta Praetoria, the Pautasso collection and the Carugo collection.
- Founded
- 2004
- Operated by
- Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta
- Visitors per year
- approx. 32,679
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
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| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Free admission up to 18 years; €3 for ages 19 to 25. |
Entry requires the combined ticket “Aosta Archeologica” (about €5, valid for six months), which covers the MAR, the MegaMuseo, the Roman Theatre, the Criptoportico forense and the early Christian church of San Lorenzo. Price and validity are listed by the Aosta Valley tourist portal; the museum page refers to the online ticket office.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | The access rules are published on the museum page; the META\MAR project involves a display that will evolve until December 2026. |
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