MUV - Museo della civiltà Villanoviana
Archaeological museum on Villanovan culture: a 7th-century BC necropolis at Marano di Castenaso with stelae, grave goods, videos and a reconstructed hut.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The MUV stands in Castenaso, on the site where Count Giovanni Gozzadini identified the first traces of what he named Villanovan culture, after his estate at Villa Nova, between 1853 and 1856. The museum is dedicated to him and was created as a shared project of the Comune di Castenaso, the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici, the Istituto per i Beni Culturali dell’Emilia-Romagna and the Provincia di Bologna.
The heart of the display is the 7th-century BC necropolis discovered in 2007 at Marano di Castenaso: eight cremation graves, each marked by a sandstone or limestone stele, three of them decorated with figures. The best known is the Stele delle Spade, with a rich relief. The stelae are arranged to evoke the original layout of the burial ground, while interactive panels at their base show the grave goods as they were found during the excavation.
The display cases hold biconical urns, bronze and ceramic vessels, personal ornaments such as fibulae, and objects linked to rank, including weapons and horse-harness fittings. Two video installations tell the story of the discovery of the necropolis and of funerary rituals, with touchscreens for further information. Since 2018 the museum garden has also housed a full-size, furnished Villanovan hut, with a wooden frame, reed roof and woven walls.
Highlights
- 7th-century BC Villanovan necropolis at Marano di Castenaso
- Eight cremation graves with stelae, including the Stele delle Spade
- Grave goods with biconical urns, fibulae, weapons and horse-harness fittings
- Video installations and interactive panels
- Reconstructed Villanovan hut in the garden
Permanent exhibition
- Necropoli villanoviana di Marano di Castenaso – Eight 7th-century BC cremation graves with stelae, grave goods and multimedia installations; a reconstructed Villanovan hut in the garden.
- Founded
- 1850
- Operated by
- Comune di Castenaso
- Visitors per year
- approx. 4,589
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3residents of Castenaso, over-65s, young people aged 14–18, university students, holders of the YoungERCard and Card Cultura, Coop members, groups of more than 10 people |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 13 · Free admission under 14; reduced ticket for ages 14–18. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and a companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €3University students. |
| Groups (11+ people) | €3 per personReduced ticket for groups of more than 10 people. |
| Guided tour (per person, in addition to the entrance ticket) | €2.50€1.50 per person for groups of more than 5 people. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of the month (the website lists Sunday 4 October and Sunday 1 November 2026).
Free admission also for teachers, journalists, tourist guides and Ministry officials.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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 website describes the museum as welcoming to all audiences and as having tactile and multimedia content; it gives no details on the accessibility of the spaces.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 13 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
Children’s workshops on Sunday afternoons at 16:30 (for example on the restorer’s work and the archaeologist’s notebook) and activities for schools.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Villanova
Bus 89 from Bologna (via Irnerio) to the Villanova stop; bus 99 from Lugo, Medicina, Budrio or Castenaso to the Villanova stop. By train from the east side of Bologna Centrale (towards Portomaggiore) to Villanova-Ca’ dell’Orbo station, then about 15 minutes on foot along via Tosarelli.
By car from the A1 or A14, take the San Lazzaro exit, then Tangenziale exit 13, then follow the signs for Castenaso and via Villanova, at the corner of via Golinelli. The entrance is on via Villanova, at the corner of via Golinelli.
Get directionsAmenities & 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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours (including animated tours), workshops for children, lectures and the “Archeo-Domeniche” are offered; for schools the museum has a dedicated educational programme. |
