Museo Naturalistico Archeologico

Vicenza's Natural History and Archaeology Museum occupies the former Dominican convent beside Santa Corona. Its two collections connect the natural environments of the Berici Hills with the long history of human settlement in the surrounding territory.

Why it matters

Natural history and archaeology provide complementary views of the region. Geology, fossils and wildlife establish an environmental setting, while prehistoric tools, settlement finds and Roman material document successive forms of human activity.

What to notice

The larger cloister has Vicenza-stone columns and Gothic capitals. Archaeological holdings include Middle Palaeolithic stone tools, pottery from the Fimon valleys, votive material from the sanctuary near Piazzetta San Giacomo, and finds associated with Roman Vicenza. Lombard-period objects extend the account into the early Middle Ages. The natural history collection focuses on the Berici Hills, including their distinctive flora and fauna.

Context and history

The convent's later-medieval cloisters and library formed part of a religious complex subsequently adapted for secular uses. After suppression, the buildings accommodated educational and military institutions, including the technical school associated with Alessandro Rossi. Restoration preceded the museum's inauguration in 1991, giving civic collections a home within the former monastic spaces.