Museo Nazionale Etrusco Pompeo Aria

The Pompeo Aria National Etruscan Museum presents finds from Kainua, the ancient city excavated at Marzabotto. Objects from houses, sanctuaries and burials connect the surviving urban plan with the lives of its inhabitants.

Why it matters

The collection places Kainua within the archaeology of the Reno valley. It brings together evidence of religion, domestic activity and the changing occupation of the settlement.

What to notice

Pottery and other excavated material illuminate the sacred and everyday spaces of the Etruscan city. The displays also consider later phases and neighbouring archaeological sites. Medieval bas-reliefs associated with the castle of the Counts of Panico extend the collection beyond the Etruscan period.

Context and history

Count Pompeo Aria promoted the study and organisation of finds in 1886, with an early collection at Villa Aria. The museum passed to the State in 1933. Wartime damage was followed by reconstruction and new displays, including a major presentation developed in the 1970s. The museum and archaeological area form parts of the same cultural complex.