The Civic Museum of Modena
The diverse collections of archaeology, ethnology, art and craftsmanship are exhibited in an evocative setting that preserves and highlights the original 19th century layout, offering the visitor a rare museographic experience.
At the same time, the Museum presents the public with an up-to-date exhibition itinerary, which brings into focus the most recent discoveries and new acquisitions, in close relationship with the historical fabric of the city.
The Museum was created in 1871 around archaeological artifacts from the “terramare”, to which were added over time other pre-proto-historic and historic collections from digs carried out in the area and in the subsoil of the city, which conserves the testament of the “very splendid” Roman colony of Mutina.
Ancient flint tools, ceramic dishware, bronze weapons, utensils and jewelry, marble and coins to tell 300,000 years of history, from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages.
An extraordinary variety of handcrafts from distant lands, New Guinea, South America, Asia and Africa, originally acquired as a tool of comparison between ethnology and prehistory, represent an invaluable testament to journeys and pioneering explorations undertaken by citizens of Modena.
Prestigious donations of art and artistic craftsmanship from 1871 to the present are exhibited in a succession of rooms where architecture, furnishings and display items harmoniously blend together in a profound conceptual unity.
Paintings, sculptures, scientific and musical instruments, weapons, equestrian equipment, textiles, terracotta, leather, decorative papers, ceramics, gold work and glass from both aristocratic collections and from the surrounding area, compose a mosaic of artistic and craftsmanship experiences that bear witness to the creative energies and the stories of their creators.
Opening times
Tuesday to Friday 9 - 12 am; Saturday, Sunday, Holidays 10 am - 7 pm; closed on Monday.
From December 1, 2024:
Tuesday to Friday: 9 AM – 12 PM and 3 PM – 7 PM;
Saturday, Sunday, and holidays: 10 AM – 7 PM;
Monday: closed.
Entrance allowed up to half an hour before closing.
Tickets and admission
Free entrance.
From December 1, 2024:
Full ticket: €6
Reduced ticket: €4 (for those aged 65 and over, and eligible individuals)
Reduced ticket: €3 (for tour operators)
Free admission: for children under 18, the first Sunday of every month, during inaugurations and conferences in the museum halls, and for eligible individuals.
The entrance ticket includes access to the Civic Museum, the Giuseppe Graziosi Plaster Cast Gallery, the Roman Lapidary, and the immersive Modena Avia Pervia exhibition (within one month of issuance). During the public opening season of the Montale Terramara Archaeological Park, a discounted combined ticket will be available to visit both the Civic Museum and the Montale Park (starting March 2025).
From December 5, 2024, with the entrance ticket, visitors can participate in guided tours without reservation to explore or rediscover the museum's diverse collections.
