Description
The National Archaeological Museum of Mantua gathers what excavations have brought to light in the Mantua area, from the Neolithic to the Renaissance. It is housed within the grounds of the Ducal Palace, in a large late-19th-century building.
The most sought-after display case holds the Lovers of Valdaro: two Neolithic skeletons, a man and a woman, buried in an embrace, face to face. Found in 2007 just outside the city, they have rested in a glass case since 2014.
Around them are Bronze Age, Etruscan, Celtic, Roman and medieval finds, all unearthed in the province.
The building has a curious past. From the mid-16th to the late 19th century, the Gonzaga court theater stood here; in 1896 the city built a market for silkworm cocoons on the site, which later became the fruit and vegetable market.
The restoration kept its industrial look: outside, the original facade; inside, the truss roof on two rows of pillars, with three floors dividing the space.
The most sought-after display case holds the Lovers of Valdaro: two Neolithic skeletons, a man and a woman, buried in an embrace, face to face. Found in 2007 just outside the city, they have rested in a glass case since 2014.
Around them are Bronze Age, Etruscan, Celtic, Roman and medieval finds, all unearthed in the province.
The building has a curious past. From the mid-16th to the late 19th century, the Gonzaga court theater stood here; in 1896 the city built a market for silkworm cocoons on the site, which later became the fruit and vegetable market.
The restoration kept its industrial look: outside, the original facade; inside, the truss roof on two rows of pillars, with three floors dividing the space.