The Archaeological Museum of Verona has its seat in the former Carmelite Monastery complex of the church of San Tomaso Becket. Formerly used as a prison, the museum was opened in 2022.
Archaeological Museum Verona
The collection
Marble sculptures from the 1st century A.D. and mosaics from the 2nd and 3rd centuries are on display in the exhibition room near the lift. The pottery on display under glass dates from the 5th century B.C. (Greek period) to Roman times.
Along the corridor there are three monastic cells. The first two show bronze objects of Etruscan, Italian, Greek and Roman origin. Highlight is a two-sided female herm from the 2nd century AD. The seated eating Silene (half man, half horse) and the woman playing the crotales (a kind of glockenspiel) date back to the 5th century BC.
In the third room you can see objects from the Roman Imperial period, which were used in housekeeping and in funeral rites. There are many ceramic vases, terracotta lamps and glass-blown objects.
In the former refectory of the monastery you can see marble sculptures made in Verona itself. The inlaid polychrome marble floor mosaic dares back to the 3rd century, and is linked to the cult of Dionysus. Some of the sculptures in this room were found in Piazza del Duomo. The only partially visible fresco on the wall was painted by Giovan Francesco Caroto.
In the cloister there are funerary inscriptions on display. Most of them were found in Verona itself. The period stretches from the 1st to the 3rd century AD.
The so-called San Girolamo Chapel is decorated with frescoes painted in the 15th and 16th centuries. The “Announcement” is by Giovan Francesco Caroto. The wooden ceiling is painted with plant motifs and coats of arms.
Ground floor
In the room on the ground floor there are decorative elements from imperial palaces. There are also altars and statues dedicated to the Roman deities that were worshipped in Verona. In the floor is a mosaic that originally decorated a Roman villa in today’s Piazza Bra. Through an opening in the floor one can see the grandiose cavity used by the Romans to protect the theatre from water infiltration.
In the room next to the stairway, in addition to a 15th century wooden crucifix, inscriptions dedicated to the Celtic Goddess Dea Matrona can be seen.
Address and opening hours and entrance fee
Address: Stradone San Tomaso, 3 – Verona. Tel. +39 045 8000360. Opening hours: From Friday to Monday from10:00 till 18:00. Monday from 1.45 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Rates and tickets
Tickets are available at the official Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Verona website.
- Adults: 5 Euros
- Ages 18-25: 2 Euros.
- Verona Card holders: 3 Euros.
- Ages 0-17: Free.
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