Museo di Scienze Archeologiche e d'Arte
University museum in the Palazzo Liviano by Gio Ponti, with Egyptian, Greek, Italic and Roman finds and the collections of Padua’s great collectors.
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About the museum
The museum of the Università di Padova is housed in the Palazzo Liviano, where it occupies the top-floor spaces designed by Gio Ponti. Its history spans almost three centuries and has been enriched by contributions from private collectors and by the scholars who made archaeology in Padua a university discipline.
The collections include finds from ancient Egypt, Greece, the Italic peoples, Rome and Padua itself two thousand years ago. Among the most important holdings are the Mantova Benavides collection and the collections of Greek vases, to which specific guided routes are dedicated, together with a visit to Gio Ponti’s architecture.
The museum offers themed routes, virtual visits, online collections and video content, and a tactile visit, “L’archeologia a portata di mano” (Archaeology within reach), designed to be accessible to everyone and based on visual and tactile exploration of the finds.
Highlights
- Egyptian, Greek, Italic and Roman finds
- Mantova Benavides collection
- Collections of Greek vases
- Top-floor spaces of the Liviano designed by Gio Ponti
- Tactile visit “L’archeologia a portata di mano”
Permanent exhibition
- Collezioni archeologiche e d'arte antica – Finds from Egypt, Greece, the Italic peoples, Rome and ancient Padua, with the Mantova Benavides collection and the collections of Greek vases.
- Operated by
- Università degli Studi di Padova
- Visitors per year
- approx. 8,435
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 12 · Free admission up to age 12. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Free admission for one person with a disability and one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | –Free admission for students and staff of the Università di Padova (with ID card). |
| Families | €6Family ticket: 2 adults and up to 3 children under 17 (€18 for “Sabato al Liviano”). |
| “Sabato al Liviano” (first Saturday of the month) | €5Buy online or at the ticket office of Palazzo Bo. |
| Guided tour for groups (1 hour) | €50Rate per group; the tactile visit is free for people with disabilities and their companions. |
Free admission also for members of the association Amici dell’Università, members of ICOM and ANMS, journalists and guides with a valid ID. Tickets are bought online.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The tactile visit “L’archeologia a portata di mano” is available; it is accessible to everyone and free for people with disabilities and their companions.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €6 · Family ticket: 2 adults and up to 3 children under 17 (€18 for “Sabato al Liviano”). |
- Family tours & workshops
Children up to age 12 enter free and a family ticket is available; guided tours can be adapted for children on request.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Several bus and tram stops are located 3 to 20 minutes on foot away, depending on the direction of arrival. From the railway station the museum is about 20 minutes on foot (1.5 km).
By car
Parking nearby, 5–20 minutes on foot: Park Insurrezione, Park Prandina, Park Porte Contarine, Park Padova Centro. Park-and-ride car parks with tram connection at Pontevigodarzere and Guizza.
The museum is in a limited traffic zone (ZTL): private cars and buses cannot reach the entrance.
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 · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Good to know | The audio guide is free and is played on your own device by scanning a QR code. Guided tours (in Italian; English on request) last one hour, for groups of up to 25 people (10 for the tactile visit): on weekdays at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, on Wednesdays also at 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00, and on the first Saturday of the month at 10:00 and 11:30. |
