Museo di Casal de' Pazzi

The Casal de' Pazzi Museum preserves part of an ancient riverbed beneath Rome's Rebibbia district. Its displays present animal remains, stone tools and a human skull fragment from a landscape formed around 200,000 years ago.

Why it matters

The site offers a view of the Pleistocene environment of the Aniene valley before Rome existed. Excavation uncovered remains of elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, aurochs, deer, hyenas, wolves, horses and waterbirds, alongside Paleolithic stone tools and a fragment of human skull.

What to notice

The straight-tusked elephant, Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus, is a central presence in the displays; its tusks reached up to four metres. The excavation produced about 2,200 bone fragments and more than 1,700 stone tools. Fossil leaves include Zelkova crenata. Drawings reconstruct the ancient river landscape, while the preserved riverbed helps explain how the remains accumulated.

Context and history

The site was discovered during urbanisation works in Rebibbia. The Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma directed excavations from 1981 to 1985 under Anna Paola Anzidei, with specialists in geology, fauna and Paleolithic archaeology. The deposit represents the right bank of the Aniene at about 32 metres above sea level. A supplementary excavation campaign took place in 2013. The museum was built over part of the riverbed to preserve it in place.