Museo lapidario estense

About the museum

The Museo Lapidario Estense is the first public museum established in Modena: Duke Francis IV of Austria-Este decreed its foundation on 31 March 1828 under the name Museo Lapidario Modenese. It drew on illustrious models such as the Museo Lapidario Maffeiano in Verona and the Galleria Lapidaria of the Vatican Museums, but with a civic vocation aimed at celebrating the city’s past from its origins as the Roman colony of Mutina.

The initial core consisted of pieces already kept in the Palazzo Ducale of Modena, coming from other antiquarian collections of the Este family or from excavations in the ducal territories of Brescello and Novellara. Citizens, starting with clergy and nobles, donated materials and funded the museum, which expanded significantly within a couple of years; two commemorative inscriptions of the benefactors, dated 1828 and 1830, are still preserved.

After Italian unification the museum gained new spaces under the direction of Arsenio Crespellani, who published a new catalogue in 1897. The most recent arrangement is that of Cesare Giorgi of 1938, recovered through the restorations of the late 20th century. The museum displays stelae, inscriptions and reliefs, Roman sarcophagi produced in Ravenna between the 2nd and 3rd centuries and later funerary monuments from the cathedral of Modena and other churches. It is part of the Gallerie Estensi.

Highlights

• First public museum institution in Modena (1828)
• Inscriptions and reliefs of the Roman colony of Mutina
• Roman sarcophagi produced in Ravenna in the 2nd and 3rd centuries
• Funerary monuments from the cathedral and other churches of Modena
• Multimedia tablet guide in Italian, English and French

Permanent exhibition

• Museo Lapidario Estense – Collection of inscriptions, reliefs and Roman sarcophagi, and of medieval and modern funerary monuments, displayed on the ground floor of the Palazzo dei Musei.

Founded

1828

Operated by

Gallerie Estensi (Ministero della Cultura)

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

The museum is on the ground floor, with a visit route that is easily accessible. The entrance for visitors with reduced mobility is at Viale Vittorio Veneto 5, with a ticket office and an exhibition hall equipped with an access ramp.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at the far end of Via Emilia Ovest, 20 minutes’ walk from the station and 5 minutes from the Duomo. Beyond Largo Porta Sant’Agostino the historic centre is a limited traffic zone.

Amenities & 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