Museo diocesano d'arte sacra e benedettino
Museum in the abbey palace of Nonantola, with the abbey treasure, illuminated codices, medieval parchments and artworks from the churches of the archdiocese.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum occupies the spaces of the ancient monastic complex of the abbey of Nonantola, founded in the 8th century and later the seat of the abbey seminary wanted by Saint Charles Borromeo when he was commendatory abbot. It was inaugurated on 31 December 1999, at the start of the Great Jubilee, on the initiative of Monsignor Lino Pizzi.
The route is divided into two parts: one diocesan, with works from the churches of the archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola, in some cases saved after the earthquake of 2012, and one devoted to the thousand-year history of the abbey. In this second section are displayed the most important parchments of the abbey archive, among them documents linked to Charlemagne and Matilda of Canossa, the abbey treasure with precious Byzantine textiles, staurothecae (reliquary crosses) and the reliquaries of the saints of Nonantola, and the illuminated codices of the monastic scriptorium, such as the Evangelario (Gospel book) of Matilda of Canossa, the Graduale and the Acta Sanctorum.
There are also paintings from the abbey and works by artists from Emilia such as Guercino, Giuseppe Maria Crespi and Simone Cantarini. The museum is a central stop in a visit to the abbey complex, alongside the Romanesque basilica.
Highlights
- Abbey treasure with Byzantine textiles, staurothecae and reliquaries
- Illuminated codices of the scriptorium, including the Evangelario of Matilda of Canossa
- Parchments from the abbey archive
- Works by Guercino, Crespi and Cantarini
- Museum without architectural barriers, next to the Romanesque basilica
Permanent exhibition
- Museo benedettino e diocesano d'arte sacra – Seven rooms with the diocesan section, the archive parchments, the abbey treasure, the scriptorium codices and the abbey paintings.
- Founded
- 1999
- Operated by
- Abbazia di Nonantola (Arcidiocesi di Modena-Nonantola)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 15,000
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There are no architectural barriers to reach the exhibition rooms in the museum. In the basilica, wheelchair users can visit the entrance nave, entering by the north side door, and the crypt via a ramp; the presbytery is not accessible because of steps.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Autostazione di Nonantola
TPER bus line 551 Modena–Ferrara to the Nonantola bus station, a few hundred metres from the abbey.
By car
Parking available · 100 m to the entrance
Car parks in Piazza Gramsci, Piazza Aldo Moro, Piazza Guido Rossa and Piazza Alessandrini; in Piazza Alessandrini, about 100 metres away, there is also free parking for buses and motorhomes.
Nonantola is on the Strada Provinciale 255, 10 km from Modena.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Online shop on the abbey’s website.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided visit by reservation for groups of at least 15 people, covering the basilica and the museum; one guide accompanies 20 to 25 people. Meeting point at the museum entrance. Booking is mandatory for groups. For schools there are workshops on parchment and Carolingian script. |
