Complete student itinerary

Museo: Museo di Scienze Archeologiche e d’Arte dell'Università di Padova

The atrium of Palazzo Liviano and statue of Arturo Martini

This section is dedicated to the atrium of Palazzo Liviano in the city center and to the famous statue "Tito Livio" by Arturo Martini.

The building we are in is located in the center of ancient Roman Padua, where Umbertino da Carrara built the monumental Palace of the Carraresi in 1338, of which only the Loggia dell'Accademia and the Sala dei Giganti remain today. Palazzo Liviano, built in the 1930s by the architect Gio Ponti, houses some humanities departments of the University of Padua. The museum located here represents one of the rare examples in Italy, between the two World Wars, of an architectural space specifically designed for this purpose. In the atrium of the building, you can admire a large fresco created in 1939 by Massimo Campigli. He was inspired by the theme of the continuity of civilization and classical culture, highlighting the teachings derived from the in-depth study of Antiquity. The fresco is read from left to right, taking into account its arrangement on multiple levels. It is possible to recognize already familiar figures such as Rector Carlo Anti, architect Gio Ponti, and the painter himself. Another element that captures attention is the "Tito Livio" by Arturo Martini, sculpted in 1942. This sculpture, located on the right side of the entrance, represents the Roman historian - who first narrated the mythical origins of Padua - as a dreaming poet seated on the outdoor rocks, detached from everything.

The Mantova Benavides collection: between archaeological finds and Renaissance casts

This section focuses on the Mantova Benavides collection: between archaeological finds and Renaissance casts.

The first room of this museum invites you to take a journey back in time inside a "Sixteenth-century Cabinet," where you will find the Mantova Benavides Collection. The arrangement of this room aims to evoke the original display of this sixteenth-century collection, which, although only partially preserved, is among the few that still exist. In the main showcase and the splendid preserved cabinet-library, ancient and Renaissance objects are exhibited seamlessly, as they exist in relation to one another, reflecting the evocative taste for the classical world typical of the sixteenth century. Can you distinguish what is ancient from what is not? For example, closely observe crater number 2 and compare it with specimen number 27. The first is an "antique-style" crater from the sixteenth century, while the second is a bell-shaped crater with red-figure decoration from the Magna Graecia production of the fourth century BCE. In the first case, we are not talking about forgery, but rather a reinterpretation of the ancient: they are true works of art, just like the casts of the heads of togate figures and emperors. They are artistic plaster casts, which hold a different value compared to the technical plaster casts preserved in the plaster cast gallery, with their didactic and study purposes. The collection was assembled by the Paduan humanist Marco Mantova Benavides, who passed away in 1582, and it was donated to the University of Padua by Antonio Vallisneri Jr. in the 18th century.

Female head from the Mantova Benavides collection

This section delves into one of the finds in the collection attributed to the famous sculptor Cefisodoto.

At number sixty-three, you will find a Greek female head attributed to the famous sculptor Cephisodotus, dating back to the early fourth century BCE and part of the sixteenth-century collection of Marco Mantova Benavides from Padua. The face is characterized by a physiognomic idealism typical of mature classicism. Upon careful observation, you can notice that the back of the head appears vertically cut. The head was originally created as a high relief, possibly a funerary stele. It should be considered that cutting out the best-preserved parts of reliefs to sell them separately as fully-rounded statues is a practice that has been prevalent since the Renaissance.

Renaissance: Ammannati and Donatello

This section is dedicated to the statue of the Allegory of Wisdom by Ammannati and to a faithful reproduction of the head of Gattamelata by Donatello.

In the corner on the right, it is possible to take a step back in time to the Italian Renaissance, where we can closely appreciate the extraordinary talent of two great artists of that era, Bartolomeo Ammannati and Donatello. Ammannati's work depicts a female statue allegorically representing the personification of the goddess of knowledge, Athena or Minerva, recognizable through details such as the armor and the masks on the dress. The statuette is a preparatory model for the sculpture found on the right side of the sarcophagus of the funerary monument of Marco Mantova Benavides, located in the church of the Eremitani in Padua, and designed in 1545. On the other side of the wall, the second figure consists of a hollow plaster head that accurately represents the features of the condottiero Erasmo da Narni, known as Il Gattamelata, faithfully reproduced from Donatello's equestrian monument, which is located in the forecourt of the Basilica of Sant'Antonio. The hypotheses about the function of the work confirm that it is a documentary cast from the author's own preparatory model.

The syrinx and the music

This section is dedicated to music with numerous instruments used in the Greco-Roman era.

Among the treasures housed in the Archaeological Museum of the University, a special place is undoubtedly occupied by an ancient musical instrument: the syrinx or Pan flute (from which the museum logo itself originates). The specimen displayed here is composed of fourteen tubes and dates back to the 6th to 8th centuries AD. It originates from Egypt and likely arrived in Padua through excavations in the Fayum Oasis conducted by Carlo Anti from 1930 to 1936. Despite being made of extremely fragile materials, its excellent preservation makes it a unique piece worldwide. Recently, a team of archaeologists and engineers conducted non-invasive analyses that resulted in the creation of a 3D model and the reconstruction of the sounds produced by this instrument. The outcome of this work can be observed and heard at the multimedia station in the first room of the museum. Music played an important role in every aspect of daily life in the ancient world. The field of musical archaeology focuses on the study of realia, which refers to archaeological artifacts of sound and musical interest, as well as the representation of musical scenes in ancient iconography. In this museum, in its various rooms, other artifacts of musical interest are preserved: four Roman age tintinnabula (bells), a small statue of an aulete (flute player) from Taranto production, and several Greek pottery artifacts depicting musical instruments.

Egypt and ancient traditions: the ushabti

This section is dedicated to the numerous Egyptian artifacts in the museum.

The artifacts within the museum also allow us to journey to distant lands, such as Egypt. The exhibits presented here are the result of various excavations conducted by the University of Padua under the supervision of the archaeologist Carlo Anti, who led the mission from 1930 to 1936. Among the discovered objects, the ushabtis hold particular importance. These are small funerary figurines that were believed to work on behalf of their owners in the afterlife. This funerary statuette was made using a mold, and the material employed is a bluish faience, with the details painted in black. Ushabti number 31, dating from 1070 to 945 BCE, portrays a mummiform male figure with an elongated oval face and large black eyes. The hair descends in the form of a striped tripartite wig, secured by a band on the forehead. An interesting aspect of the artwork lies in what the figurine holds in its hands: two implements known as "marru" accompanied by two columns of hieroglyphs, which could contain messages from the deceased.

Room Merlin

This section is dedicated to the Merlin Room and the Merlin-Hieke collection.

In this room, you will find artifacts from the collection of the Merlin-Hieke spouses, two distinguished academics of the 20th century specialized in physics and petrology. Their expertise in these fields is particularly important for archaeological studies, as the description of the productive aspects of ancient material culture is increasingly connected to the scientific technological domain, where research has made significant progress, especially in the study of ceramics. The crucial moment for all ceramic vessels lies in the firing phase, where the main chemical and physical transformations occur. For example, in the production of red-figure pottery (as exemplified by the Lucanian bell-shaped crater, number 2), during the initial firing phase known as oxidation, the high temperature promotes the formation of hematite, which imparts the red color. Subsequently, the reduction phase occurs, characterized by a decrease in temperature and the formation of magnetite, which gives the vase its black color. Finally, another oxidation phase causes a portion of the vessel to revert to red, while the area onto which an additional layer of semi-liquid clay was applied during the preparatory phase remains black. Regarding the Gnathian-style ceramics (such as numbers 20 and 21), the decorations observed were not achieved through the mechanism described earlier but were painted after the completion of firing.

The art of the situlae and the ancient Venetians

This section is dedicated to the art of the Situle and to the finds of the ancient Venetians.

The artifacts on display in rooms 5 and 7 belong to the ancient Veneti and come from the sites of Padua and Este. Starting from the 8th century BCE, burial goods began to diversify, indicating a progressive social stratification. However, it is from the following century that one can observe the ostentation of princely elites. These burial goods are incredibly rich and made of precious materials (as seen in number 24 covered in gold leaf), imported items, and an abundance of elements related primarily to the ideological realm of banquets. The highest artistic expression is found in the so-called Art of Situlae, a refined production of objects made from bronze sheets. The most common are the large vases known as situlae, which were used both during banquets and in funerary contexts. At number 27, you can see a cast of what is considered its masterpiece, the Situla Benvenuti 123, preserved at the National Museum of Este. It features a detailed narrative of what can be seen as the status symbols of the warrior leader. This art was also expressed in other types of artifacts, such as the knife sheath at number 36 in the adjacent room 7. All these artifacts share a similar language, with scenes of hunting, warfare, and various activities that can be traced back to forms of ostentation and legitimization of power by the Venetian aristocracy before the Roman conquest.

The Etruscan room and the multi-ethnic component of the ancient Veneto

This section is dedicated to the part of the Venetian Etruscan collection.

The small room houses ceramics and bronzes from the Etruscan area. On the wall, there are two Etruscan funerary urns from the 2nd-1st century BCE. The urn with a reclining female figure on the lid and a farewell scene on the front is made of tuff and comes from Volterra. In the display case, notable are the vases made of bucchero, a distinctive Etruscan ceramic characterized by its black and grayish color. Alongside the characteristic chalices, there are imitations of Greek forms such as the kyathos and kantharos, cups with raised handles that were used respectively for pouring and drinking liquids during banquets. Of considerable interest are also the bronze elements, including parts of a candelabrum and two mirrors with engraved decoration. Some of these artifacts were part of the collection of Evan Gorga, an Italian operatic tenor who, between the 19th and 20th centuries, assembled an impressive collection of archaeological artifacts and musical instruments in Rome. Other objects come from a recovery of items from illicit excavations in the necropolis of Spina, an important Greek-Etruscan port city located on the Adriatic Sea. Important Etruscan centers also existed in the Veneto region, particularly in the Polesine area, including Adria and San Basilio. Prior to the arrival of the Romans, Veneto was a significant crossroads for numerous populations that came into contact with one another, such as the Etruscans, Greeks, Celts, and Veneti.

San Lorenzo bridge

This section is dedicated to the Roman bridge of San Lorenzo, now buried under Via Altinate.

Here, a solid plaster model has been reproduced to represent the architectural structure of the San Lorenzo Bridge, the only bridge entirely preserved from the Roman era (40-30 BCE). It acquired its name due to its proximity to the now-destroyed San Lorenzo church. Through excavations carried out in 1938, we have learned that the bridge spans 50 meters and consists of three low arches constructed using Costozza stone (also known as Vicenza stone) and Euganean trachyte. Initially, the parapets were made of terracotta but were later clad in marble slabs during the Augustan period as part of a broader project to enhance the monumentality of the entire city. Furthermore, on the central arch of the southern facade, the names of the magistrates who oversaw this engineering work are still visible.

Amphorae and cultural and legal values

This section focuses on issues related to the legality and conservation of cultural heritage that is found by chance.

The cultural values and points of reflection offered by the museum are numerous. Within its walls, there are artworks that prompt visitors to contemplate various themes, such as legality and the preservation of cultural heritage that is discovered by chance. In this regard, as explained by the Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape (Legislative Decree 42/2004), archaeological research is exclusively attributed to the responsible Ministry, and any chance discoveries of material of presumed archaeological nature must be immediately reported to the competent authorities. Even amphorae, which were ceramic transport containers widely used in the Roman world, can be found underground, and it is easy to assume ownership of such items. For example, the museum houses six Adriatic amphorae originating from excavations carried out in the courtyard of the Bo, as well as four other specimens deposited here by the local branch of the Ministry of Culture, known as the Soprintendenza. These examples highlight the importance of following legal protocols and regulations regarding chance discoveries and the ownership of cultural artifacts. By adhering to these guidelines, we can contribute to the preservation and study of our shared cultural heritage.

Gipsoteca

This last section focuses on the museum's beautiful gipsoteca.

The Gipsoteca is a room that houses a collection of plaster casts of some of the most important sculptures from ancient Greece and Rome. The majority of the casts here were acquired in the early 20th century from various museums, as well as Venetian collections such as the Archaeological Museum of Venice, initially through the efforts of Gherardo Ghirardini and Giuseppe Pellegrini, and later expanded by Carlo Anti from 1922. The interior arrangement was designed by Gio Ponti between 1937 and 1939. He envisioned a spacious peristyle hall with the impluvium at its center, around which all the sculptures were placed. Due to damage to the Liviano building caused by bomb explosions during World War II, the architect Gilda D'Agaro oversaw the restoration and completion of the museum between 1961 and 1966. She rearranged the Gipsoteca and removed the impluvium (a flooring dating back to the 1st century BCE and obtained from excavations for the construction of the Liviano), which was only revealed again in 2004 after a new restoration. By observing the plaster casts, one can notice all the gaps and joints of the original sculptures. This is because the Gipsoteca was primarily created for educational purposes, allowing students to observe and learn about the various stages of production and the marks that time has left on the original masterpieces.