Museo di Archeologia dell’Università di Pavia
University museum in the Crociera of the Ospedale San Matteo, with finds from prehistory to Rome, an Egyptian collection and a plaster-cast gallery.
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About the museum
The museum originated with the first chair of archaeology established in Italy, assigned in 1820 to Pietro Vittorio Aldini, and from the outset it had a strong educational character: the materials served the direct study of antiquities by students of the University of Pavia.
The collections include finds from Italy and the wider world, from prehistory to Egypt, from the civilisations of ancient Italy to the Roman age and up to the Renaissance. Alongside the sections on Magna Graecia, Etruscan and Roman pottery, Etruscan terracotta votive offerings, small bronzes, inscriptions, sculptures and Roman glass, there are a numismatic collection with engraved gems and rings, a collection of ancient forgeries and an important plaster-cast gallery. Among the best-known works is a Roman copy of the head of Aphrodite Sosandra from the 2nd century AD, whose original bronze by Kalamis stood on the Propylaea of the Acropolis of Athens.
The seat is the Crociera of the fifteenth-century Ospedale San Matteo, which preserves four sections of the old wooden ceiling and a late-Baroque dome of 1770, built to bring more light and air to the patients. After a long restoration, the museum reopened on 2 October 2026 with a temporary display that is still evolving, conceived as an open building site leading towards the definitive project.
Highlights
- Roman copy of the head of Aphrodite Sosandra
- Plaster-cast gallery of ancient sculptures
- Egyptian and Oriental collection
- Magna Graecia, Etruscan and Roman pottery
- Numismatic collection with engraved gems and rings
- Original wooden ceiling and late-Baroque dome of the Crociera
Permanent exhibition
- Collezioni del Museo di Archeologia – allestimento temporaneo «Lavori in corso» – Temporary display in the Crociera of the Ospedale San Matteo: the crates used to store the finds over the last two years become the centre of the route, while the definitive project is awaited.
- Founded
- 1820
- Operated by
- Università degli Studi di Pavia – Sistema museale di Ateneo
- Director
- Elena Calandra
- Visitors per year
- approx. 2,000
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.50young people aged 14 to 26, over-65s, holders of My Museum Card, groups of at least 10 people, staff of the University of Pavia, teachers visiting privately, armed forces |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 13 · Free admission for children up to age 13. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities or disability status and one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree admission for students of the University of Pavia. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €1.50 per personGroups of at least 10 people: reduced ticket. |
| Families | €7Family group: two adults and one or more young people aged 14 to 26. |
| Monthly 6 Museums pass (one admission to each museum of the university museum system within one month of first use) | €6 |
| Annual 1 Museum pass (free access to the Museum of Archaeology for one year) | €15 |
| Annual 6 Museums pass (free access to all museums of the university museum system for one year) | €20 |
| Museum guide for groups | €5 |
| Museum guide for school groups | €3 |
Free admission also for licensed tourist guides and tour escorts, teachers accompanying school groups, journalists with press card, holders of an ICOM card, ANMS members, institutional guests, members of the “Nati con la cultura” project, and visitors on their birthday. Tickets can be bought at the museum or online.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 13 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €7 · Family group: two adults and one or more young people aged 14 to 26. |
- Family tours & workshops
The museum offers educational routes and workshops for schools and groups, by reservation only.
Getting there & parking
The museum is in the University's Palazzo Centrale. The entrance is in the passage between the Cortile delle Magnolie and the Cortile Sforzesco.
Get directionsAmenities & 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 |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Educational workshops take place by reservation only (museo.archeologia@unipv.it). During the opening on the third Saturday of the month a guided tour of the collections is planned. |
