Museo Etnologico Missionario
Museum in the Franciscan convent of San Francesco in Fiesole, with Etruscan and Roman finds and the missionaries' Egyptian and Chinese collections.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum is on the ground floor of the convent of San Francesco, on the hill of Fiesole, and is reached from the church. The first nucleus came into being in the early twentieth century, when restoration work on the convent brought to light archaeological finds in the lower levels of the ancient Etruscan fortress, which Father Cristoforo Giani collected together with material found in the well of the garden.
The true missionary museum is due to Father Ambrogio Ridolfi, assigned to the convent in 1920, who involved the missionary brothers in Egypt and China in enlarging the collection. The Egyptian section was created thanks to the Franciscan mission in Egypt and Father Sebastiano Bastiani, with the help of the Egyptologist Ernesto Schiaparelli; the Chinese section is due mainly to Father Sebastiano Ceccherelli and Father Norberto Pieraccini.
The museum also holds objects from the liturgical and daily life of the friars. The crypt of Santa Maria del Fiore can also be visited, while beside the church one can access the old cells in which Saint Bernardino of Siena lived during his stay in Fiesole.
Highlights
- Etruscan and Roman finds from the convent excavations
- Egyptian collection linked to Ernesto Schiaparelli
- Chinese section with clothing, musical instruments, jades and porcelain
- Crypt of Santa Maria del Fiore
- Cells of Saint Bernardino of Siena beside the church
Permanent exhibitions
- Sezione etrusco-romana – Finds from excavations in the convent area, on the site of the ancient Etruscan fortress.
- Sezione egizia – Objects collected by the Franciscan mission in Egypt with the contribution of Ernesto Schiaparelli.
- Sezione cinese – Clothing, musical instruments, prints, jade figurines, porcelain and ivory brought by the missionaries from China.
- Founded
- 1925
- Operated by
- Comunità dei frati francescani del Convento di San Francesco
- Visitors per year
- approx. 10,000
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission by voluntary donation; the proceeds go towards maintaining the museum.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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