Antiquarium di Cesenatico (Ad Novas)

Cesenatico's Antiquarium presents the archaeology of the territory before and alongside the development of its medieval port. Roman ceramics, coins and production material connect the coastal landscape with the settlement identified as Ad Novas.

Why it matters

The collection places the familiar maritime town within a longer history of roads, farming, settlement and manufacture. Its Roman and medieval material makes clear that the area's past extends beyond the harbour's best-known later episodes.

What to notice

Exhibits address the division of the territory, roads, houses, kilns and burial practices. Pottery, weights, coins and building materials record everyday activities rather than only elite display. Material associated with ceramic production includes evidence of ornamental statuary. A separate section concerns the destroyed Rocca and Torre Pretoria, bringing the account into the medieval town.

Context and history

The archaeological narrative associates the area with the Republican-period Tabernae Cossutianae and the imperial settlement of Ad Novas. Excavations in the surrounding countryside have provided further evidence of Roman manufacture, including kiln sites. The Antiquarium forms part of the municipal museum system associated with the Museo della Marineria, preserving a distinct archaeological perspective within that maritime setting.