Museo di Torcello

About the museum

The museum occupies two buildings on the small square of the island of Torcello, next to the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the baptistery and the church of Santa Fosca. The Palazzo del Consiglio, a fourteenth-century Gothic building that housed the citizens' council, was bought and restored in 1870 by Senator Luigi Torelli, prefect of Venice, to hold finds from the lagoon and from Altino. In 1872 Torelli donated it to the Province of Venice, which set up the Museo Provinciale. Its first director was Nicolò Battaglini.

In 1887 Cesare Augusto Levi also bought the Palazzo dell'Archivio, which dates from the eleventh to twelfth century. The museum was officially opened on 14 May 1889, with the archaeological collections in this second building. After the reorganisations of the early twentieth century, in the 1970s the director Giulia Fogolari renewed the medieval and modern section and had the Palazzo dell'Archivio restored. The archaeological section reopened in the summer of 1990, after a decade of closure.

In 1997 management passed from the Province to the Metropolitan City of Venice, and in 2026 the museum was acquired by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.

The archaeological section brings together in one room finds from the Palaeolithic to the late Roman period, with pottery, bronzes, sculptures and gems, and an important group from Altino. The medieval and modern section holds stone material from the sixth to the tenth century, an ivory crozier, a gilded silver altar frontal, a mosaic fragment, Venetian ceramics and paintings from the workshop of Veronese.

Highlights

• Archaeological section with finds from Altino, Greek and Etruscan pottery and bronze figurines
• Funerary altar from Altino turned into a well with rampant griffins
• Ivory crozier and gilded silver altar frontal
• Mosaic fragment with Christ, angels and prophets
• Wooden sculpture of Saint Fosca and paintings from Veronese's workshop

Permanent exhibitions

• Sezione archeologica – Finds from the Palaeolithic to the late Roman period, with pottery, bronzes, sculptures and an important group from Altino, in the Palazzo dell'Archivio.
• Sezione medievale e moderna – Stone material, ivories, silverware, Venetian ceramics and paintings in the Palazzo del Consiglio.

Founded

1889

Operated by

Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for residents and people born in the Comune di Venezia, ICOM members, licensed tourist guides in Italy, up to 2 accompanying teachers per school group, volunteers of the Comune di Venezia civil service programme, and holders of the MUVE Friend Card, the Amici dei Musei e Monumenti Veneziani membership card or other association cards. Online, only reductions for children, students and over-65s are available; the others are obtained at the ticket office with ID. On the occasion of “Musei in Festa”, residents of the 44 municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Venice and of Mogliano Veneto enter the Civic Museums free of charge.

Accessibility

• Partially 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

Access to the exhibition floors is by stairs. As these are listed historic buildings, the floors may have slight slopes, raised thresholds or steps of different heights, so caution is advised. Routes and educational workshops can be adapted to specific needs.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Timetables for the lines are on actv.it. Other lagoon connections are run by ATVO and Alilaguna.

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