Archaeological Museum of Bologna

The collection was presented to the public in 1881 with the inauguration of the museum. The original nucleus comprised a group of Egyptian antiquities in the University holdings, joined in 1861 by the magnificent collection of the Bolognese painter, Pelagio Palagi. In 1987, the collection was further enlarged thanks to a donation of items from the Greco-Roman era; these are of particular interest for their writing (bricks, funerary cones, papyri, mummy bandages).

Originally displayed on the museum’s first floor in rooms III-IV and V, the collection was moved in 1994 to the basement floor, with a totally renewed layout. The visit follows a chronological development to show the evolution of Egyptian art and culture from the Antique Kingdom to the Late Period, with a thematic annex dedicated to writing and funeral rites.