Museo Civico di Rieti — Sezione archeologica

The archaeological section of Rieti's Civic Museum occupies part of the former Monastery of Santa Lucia. Sabine and Roman material connects the historic city of Reate with the wider territory around the upper Velino valley.

Why it matters

The collection places funerary customs, imported pottery, sculpture and inscriptions within a regional history. It brings objects from different settlements into relation without reducing the ancient Sabina to a single site.

What to notice

A hut-shaped urn from Campo Reatino recalls early forms of dwelling through a funerary object. An Attic kylix from Poggio Sommavilla reflects contacts beyond the region. Roman material includes an inscription honouring Agrippa and the draped statue known locally as Mammacibocco. Inscribed stones in the cloister add an epigraphic dimension to the collection.

Context and history

The civic collections began with inscriptions gathered at the town hall in the late Renaissance. Nineteenth-century acquisitions and donations expanded them. The museum occupied Sant'Agostino from 1865 before moving to the town hall in 1911. The archaeological section later found its home in Santa Lucia, linking ancient material with a medieval monastic setting.