Museo civico archeologico Giovanni Rambotti

About the museum

The Museo civico archeologico “Giovanni Rambotti” was opened in 1990 and is named after the first mayor of Desenzano, in office in 1860, who was the first to recognise the scientific value of the prehistoric finds of Lake Garda. It was founded to promote the archaeological evidence of the area, with particular attention to the prehistory of the Garda region and the Lavagnone pile dwelling.

The museum is housed in the cloister of the former Carmelite convent of Santa Maria de Senioribus, founded in 1472. After the suppression of the religious orders between the 18th and 19th centuries, the convent passed to other uses and the church was converted into a theatre; the building, severely damaged by the bombing of 1944, was restored at the end of the 20th century by the Comune di Desenzano del Garda.

With the inscription in 2011 of the prehistoric pile-dwelling sites of the Alpine arc on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the display was enriched with material from the Lavagnone and other lake pile dwellings, such as Padenghe, Moniga, Lugana Vecchia, Porto Galeazzi and Maraschina. The heart of the display consists of the finds from the excavations by Renato Perini in the 1970s, which in 1978 led to the discovery of the Bronze Age wooden plough, and from research carried out by the University of Milan since 1989. One section is devoted to later periods, from the Roman age to the Renaissance and the rule of the Republic of Venice.

Highlights

• Bronze Age wooden plough from the Lavagnone
• Dugout canoe from the Lavagnone
• Finds from the Garda pile dwellings, a UNESCO site
• Reconstruction of the interior of a pile dwelling, and models
• Cloister of the Carmelite convent of 1472
• Accessible routes with objects to touch and audio descriptions

Permanent exhibitions

• Preistoria gardesana e palafitte del Lavagnone – Ground and first floors with material from the Garda pile dwellings, the Lavagnone plough and dugout canoe, a reconstruction of a pile dwelling and the timeline.
• Dall’età romana al Rinascimento – Section devoted to the more recent periods, up to the rule of the Republic of Venice.

Founded

1990

Operated by

Comune di Desenzano del Garda

Visitors per year

approx. 6,107

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.

Free admission also for school groups and accompanying teachers from the schools of Desenzano del Garda, residents of Desenzano del Garda, tourist and environmental guides and escorts, and holders of an ICOM card or an Abbonamento Musei. Reduced ticket with the Garda Musei card and the Garda Promotion Card. Payment also by card (POS); tickets can be booked online.

Accessibility

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

The entrance at Via Anelli 42 has a ramp; a lift on the ground floor, near the ticket office, leads to the second floor. There are seats in the rooms, and a wheelchair is available at the ticket office; mobility aids are allowed in all areas. For partially sighted visitors the texts are in high-legibility fonts, some panels and objects can be touched (marked “TOCCAMI”), and the DescriVedendo project offers audio descriptions downloadable by QR code; there is a Braille panel at the Lavagnone site. Nearby, parking spaces are reserved for holders of disabled parking permits.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Educational workshops and routes for schools, with hands-on experimental archaeology activities (for example weaving and pottery making). Birthday parties at the museum for children aged 7 to 11 (maximum 15 children, lasting two and a half hours, not at weekends). Museum guides for young people, free of charge.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the Lungolago of Desenzano, at Via Anelli 42. By car: A4 motorway, Desenzano del Garda exit. Cycle paths are also available.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with specialist and popular books and some gadgets; the museum's guides for adults and young people, in Italian and English, are free.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit