Museo di San Petronio
Museum in the left aisle of the Basilica of San Petronio, with designs for the unfinished façade and the Treasury of San Petronio; free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum’s collections were formed between the 16th and 19th centuries and are linked to the long, never completed, finishing of the basilica’s façade. The museum proper was established in 1894, bringing together documents and liturgical furnishings; today it is set up in the left aisle of the basilica.
The route is divided into two rooms. The first is devoted to the designs, drawings and models for the façade produced by architects such as Peruzzi, Giulio Romano, Vignola and Palladio, with the instruments of Giovanni Cassini for the meridian line and some marble panels with biblical scenes, including a work by Properzia de’ Rossi.
The second room houses the Treasury of San Petronio: 13th-century goldwork, the Pax of Saint Sebastian, Embriachi caskets, illuminated choir books, a processional cross of 1547, sacred vestments from the 16th to the 18th century and a reliquary of Saint Anthony of Padua.
Highlights
- Designs for the façade by Peruzzi, Giulio Romano, Vignola and Palladio
- Instruments of Giovanni Cassini for the meridian line
- Treasury of San Petronio with 13th-century goldwork
- Embriachi caskets and illuminated choir books
- Sacred vestments from the 16th to the 18th century
Permanent exhibition
- Museo di San Petronio: progetti per la facciata e Tesoro – Two rooms with designs for the basilica’s façade and the Treasury of San Petronio, with goldwork, illuminated choir books and sacred vestments.
- Founded
- 1894
- Operated by
- Basilica di San Petronio
- Visitors per year
- approx. 90,000 (2019)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Chapels route (Re Magi, San Sebastiano, San Vincenzo Ferrer) | €5Reduced €3; schools €2. The museum itself is free of charge. |
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Admission to the museum and the basilica is free. The chapels route (Cappella dei Re Magi or Bolognini, Cappella di San Sebastiano, Cappella di San Vincenzo Ferrer) is paid: €5 full, €3 reduced (ages 11–18, over 65, groups with a guide, university groups with a lecturer), €2 for schools; free for children under 10 and for people with disabilities.
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
According to a tourist source, the museum and the adjacent bookshop are accessible to people with mobility impairments. The basilica has a side entrance with a ramp on Via de’ Pignattari. The panoramic terrace is permanently closed.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Bookshop next to the museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| Good to know | Groups of 15 or more must book by email. Guided tours of the basilica and special visits (crypts, bell tower, organs) are booked at prenotazioni@basilicadisanpetronio.org at least one week in advance (three for special visits). Dress suitable for a place of worship is required. |
