Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Orvieto

Orvieto's National Archaeological Museum occupies the ground floor of Palazzo di Martino IV, beside the cathedral. Finds from the city and surrounding territory illuminate the Etruscan settlement and its religious and funerary life.

Why it matters

The collections connect objects with the places where they were excavated. Material from cemeteries, temples and later archaeological investigations helps reconstruct different aspects of ancient Orvieto.

What to notice

Paintings detached from the Golini tombs near Porano depict an Etruscan funerary world, including preparations for a banquet and images associated with the afterlife. Finds from the Crocifisso del Tufo and Cannicella cemeteries complement material from urban sanctuaries such as Belvedere and San Leonardo. Discoveries at Campo della Fiera contribute to the study of a major religious area, associated by scholars with the Fanum Voltumnae.

Context and history

The museum was inaugurated in 1982 with material previously held by the Opera del Duomo and with the Golini paintings returned from Florence. Further research in Orvieto and its territory has expanded the archaeological context represented by the collection.