The artistic and architectural talents of ancient Rome come to life at Verona Archeological Museum (Museo Archeologico al Teatro Romano). Find centuries-old altars, mosaics, statues and vases displayed in the rooms of a one-time monastery and the grounds of an open-air theater. Many of the objects at Verona Archeological Museum were unearthed at the theater, in Verona’s historic city center and the surrounding countryside.
Your introduction to the collections starts in the museum’s lobby, where parts of the theater’s original walls are visible. See sculptures of Bacchus, the god of wine and fertility, and his followers Baccante and Satyr. Stand on the stage of the Roman Theatre and admire the curved seating tiers built expertly into the hillside. Jazz concerts, Shakespearean plays and contemporary theater shows take place here throughout the summer months.
Take the elevator or climb the staircases from the theater to the monastery. In one room are examples of inscriptions from the Roman Imperial era and a polychrome mosaic excavated at Piazza Bra. Funerary inscriptions and stone memorial steles decorate the cloisters. In the Church of Saint Gerolamo are fragments of mosaics recovered from buildings located in the Città Antica, Verona’s historic quarter.
Go to the monastery’s canteen to browse statues that portray venerated gods such as Artemis, Ephesus and Zeus. Other rooms store busts, bronze statuettes, Etruscan-Italic figurines, decorative ceramics and glassware. Remnants of columns and capitals stand in the terrace, from where you can see gorgeous views over Verona’s rooftops. For more great views go to the walkway above the monastery.
The museum is located at the foot of St. Peter’s Hill and on the opposite side of the river from the Città Antica. It’s a short walk from the historic center via Ponte Pietra bridge. There’s metered parking close to the museum entrance.
Verona Archeological Museum is open daily and there’s an admission fee. Entrance is free with the VeronaCard. Most events at the Roman Theatre have a fee. Ask at the museum’s reception for more information.
