Museo Delta Antico (Ospedale degli Infermi)

The Delta Antico Museum in Comacchio presents archaeological finds from the Po Delta, from the Etruscan port of Spina to Roman and medieval history.

Why it matters

The museum interprets the changing landscape of the Po Delta and the communities that developed along its waterways. Its collections connect the Etruscan city of Spina, Roman trade and the medieval salt economy with the history of Comacchio.

What to notice

The Roman ship section displays cargo recovered from a commercial vessel lost off the ancient coast, including amphorae, lead ingots, shipboard instruments and objects of daily life preserved in lagoon silt. Other galleries present Attic vases, gold and bronzes from Spina, alongside material relating to medieval salt production, glass and metalworking. The former Ospedale degli Infermi has a neoclassical facade with a four-column pronaos and triangular pediment.

Context and history

Antonio Foschini designed the former Ospedale degli Infermi, built between 1778 and 1784 on papal initiative; Gaetano Genta completed its rear portion. The hospital opened in 1811 and served Comacchio until the late twentieth century. Restoration between 1997 and 2013 preceded the museum's opening in 2017, expanding on the earlier Museo del carico della nave romana with finds from across the delta. Archaeological research at Spina began in the early twentieth century.