Menhir Museum

About the museum

The Menhir Museum houses the menhir statues of the Laconi area, in the Sarcidano. The first statue of this type in Sardinia, that of Genna Arrele, was discovered in 1969 by the archaeologist Enrico Atzeni, and research since then has yielded many others. The museum opened in November 1996 in the old town hall, with 40 statue-stelae from the Laconi countryside.

After the Comune bought Palazzo Aymerich and restored it, the new venue opened in 2010. The palace, opened in 1846 as a rural residence of the marquises of Laconi, is a three-storey neoclassical building designed by Gaetano Cima and covers more than 5,000 square metres. Today the collection includes 44 menhir statues from Laconi and statues from Villa Sant’Antonio, Allai and Samugheo.

The display extends over three levels and eleven rooms. On the ground floor the first statues can be seen, a reproduction of a quarry and the neoclassical family chapel of the Aymerich; on the second floor the other menhir statues and the grave goods of Neolithic and Early Metal Age tombs, dating to between 2700 and 1800 BC. The main floor preserves 19th-century wallpapers from the Dufour manufactory and hosts temporary exhibitions. Since 2020 visitors have been able to listen to explanations of the finds by scanning QR codes.

Highlights

• 44 menhir statues from the Laconi area
• Funerary finds from the Neolithic and Early Metal Age
• Neoclassical family chapel of the Aymerich
• 19th-century wallpapers by Manifattura Dufour
• Audio guide via QR codes

Permanent exhibitions

• Statue-menhir di Laconi e del Sarcidano – Collection of 44 menhir statues from Laconi and statues from Villa Sant’Antonio, Allai and Samugheo, with a reproduction of a quarry and the grave goods of the prehistoric tombs.
• Piano nobile di Palazzo Aymerich – Reception rooms with 19th-century Dufour wallpapers and the neoclassical family chapel.

Founded

1996

Operated by

Comune di Laconi

Visitors per year

approx. 7,802

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The museum is located in Palazzo Aymerich, Piazza Marconi 10, in the centre of Laconi.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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