Museo di Casal de' Pazzi

About the museum

The museum stands on the Middle Pleistocene deposit discovered in 1981 in Rome, in the Rebibbia district, when a bulldozer cut into a geological deposit during urban development works. The Soprintendenza Archeologica halted the site and carried out an excavation lasting from 1981 to 1986 over more than 1,200 square metres, uncovering a stretch of an ancient riverbed with about 2,200 bone remains, more than 1,500 flint artefacts and a fragment of a human skull.

To preserve part of the deposit (about 300 square metres), the town plan was modified and the road was partly moved. In 1996 management of the area passed to the Comune di Roma, which took charge of the musealisation: the large roof was completed in 2000, together with important restoration work.

From 2006 the display and the layout of the outdoor spaces were completed, including the Giardino pleistocenico (Pleistocene Garden), with plants typical of that period. The Casal de’ Pazzi deposit is the last survivor of a series of Pleistocene sites in the Aniene valley destroyed by the expansion of the city. Today the museum is part of the Sistema Musei di Roma Capitale.

Highlights

• Pleistocene deposit seen from above from a walkway
• Fossil remains of ancient elephant, aurochs, hippopotamus and rhinoceros
• More than 1,500 flint artefacts and a fragment of a human skull
• 3D reconstructions of the landscape of the time
• Pleistocene Garden with a multisensory route

Founded

2000

Operated by

Roma Capitale – Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali

Visitors per year

approx. 7,139

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission for everyone, with compulsory booking. Groups of 5 to 25 people plus their guide enter only with a free booking; guided tours in several languages are paid and by booking.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The excavation area, seen from above from a walkway, is reachable by ramp; the Pleistocene Garden has a path usable also by people with mobility or visual impairments. The accessible toilet is on the left of the entrance corridor of the exhibition hall. Free unguarded parking with two reserved spaces. In the hall some copies of flint tools and geological materials can be touched; the garden has a multisensory route with 15 raised-relief panels and captions in Braille. A video station in LIS (Italian Sign Language) is at the entrance, and tactile visits are available on request.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum offers educational activities for schools and for everyone, with workshops and guided tours by booking, and a tactile-sensory visit on request.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at the junction of Via Egidio Galbani and Via Ciciliano.

Amenities & dining

Food and drink may not be consumed in the museum, and large bags, backpacks and umbrellas are not allowed.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit