Museo diocesano San Giovanni
Diocesan museum in the church of San Giovanni, next to the cathedral in Asti: cathedral treasury, a wooden choir of 1477 and Roman archaeological remains.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo Diocesano San Giovanni grew out of a project dating back to the 1990s: the idea was to restore the canons' cloisters and use these spaces to conserve the heritage of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. When the roof of the church of San Giovanni needed replacing, the project was rethought more broadly, to include the whole area between the church and the cathedral.
The excavations, carried out from 2001 to 2008, brought to light important archaeological structures, including the remains of a Roman domus with mosaic floors. The museum was founded on 12 January 2010 with the opening of the Spazio San Giovanni, the first nucleus of a museum still being completed, and it belongs to the Diocese of Asti.
The route is set in the church of San Giovanni and its crypt, and holds sacred furnishings from the cathedral treasury, medieval wooden sculptures, slabs and archaeological evidence of Roman and early Christian Asti. The museum is part of the integrated museum system “Asti Città Museo” and of the project “Città e Cattedrali” (Cities and Cathedrals).
Highlights
- Wooden choir by Baldino da Surso, 1477
- Phial monstrance of 1447 by Materniganus de Filipis
- Chapter cross of 1505 by Giovanni Antonio Feta
- Monstrance of Abraham and Melchizedek, 1707
- Church and crypt of San Giovanni with remains of a Roman domus
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione permanente – About 70 works on display, including goldsmiths' work from the cathedral treasury, the 1477 wooden choir and archaeological evidence from the Roman domus.
- Founded
- 2010
- Operated by
- Diocesi di Asti
- Visitors per year
- approx. 3,072
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is by voluntary donation for all visitors.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- 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
Access is possible by a platform lift, and the exhibition spaces are suitable for wheelchairs, except the crypt of San Giovanni. Teaching materials in AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) and toilets for people with disabilities are available.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
The museum offers educational activities and workshops for different audiences, including children's Sundays.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Piazza Cattedrale (navetta «E»)
From the railway station (Piazza Marconi), take bus line 2 or 2/ (towards Via Spandre) or line 7 (towards Via Foscolo) to the Piazza Alfieri stop. From there, take the electric shuttle “E” to the Piazza Cattedrale stop.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
There is no parking nearby; the nearest car parks are in Piazza Fratelli Cairoli and Piazza Catena.
The museum is in a ZTL (limited traffic zone) and cannot be reached by car without a permit; the station is about 1.5 km away. From the A21 motorway, take the Asti Ovest exit, towards the centre.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
At the entrance there is an information point with free and paid printed material.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visits can be booked with or without a guide (museo@sicdat.it, tel. 351 707 7031); booking is compulsory for schools and groups. The reception staff also speak English. Captions are in Italian. |
