Museum

History

Excavations began in the nineteenth century and uncovered exceptionally important groups of marble statues, which entered the Royal Collections in Turin.

Until the early twentieth century, excavations were led mainly by private individuals. Marquis Tomaso Gropallo, Marquis Angelo Remedi and Carlo Fabbricotti carried out some of the earliest investigations and built private collections of finds from Luni. These collections are now held in several museums, including the Ubaldo Formentini Civic Archaeological Museum in La Spezia and the National Archaeological Museum in Florence. The National Archaeological Museum, built within the archaeological site in 1964, made it possible to display the finds where they had been discovered.

In the following decades, the Archaeological Superintendency of Liguria acquired land and developed the site so that visitors could better understand Luni’s history, from its foundation as a Roman colony in 177 BC to its role as an episcopal seat until 1204. Between 1991 and 2004, themed displays were installed in the farmhouses within the archaeological site.

The museum is now housed in the Casale Benettini Gropallo, where the new exhibition opened on 29 May 2025.

The new museum exhibition

The new museum occupies two floors, each with a different focus. The ground floor explores the city’s relationship with Apuan marble and shows how it gave Luna its monumental appearance through its use in architecture, sculpture, and public and private buildings. Recent finds are displayed alongside familiar pieces, including the base dedicated to the goddess Luna found in her temple, the Oceanus mosaic, and a corridor mosaic from the same house. The latter depicts Medusa, whose image inspired the museum logo. A small room displays inscriptions on marble. The ground-floor visit ends in a screening room with two screens showing specially produced films and Istituto Luce documentaries about the stone.

The upper floor follows a chronological route. It opens with finds from the area dating to before the Roman city was founded, including prehistoric tools made of flint, obsidian and limestone. Two groups of grave goods from the Ligurian necropolis at Cafaggio, Ameglia, are displayed alongside Etruscan bucchero pottery from the same site. Together they show that the area was settled early and took part in cultural and commercial exchanges.

The exhibition then traces the early years of the Roman colony, founded in 177 BC, through finds from the Capitoline temple, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, and from the temple of the goddess Luna. The Imperial section explores the many aspects of life at the time. It covers the construction of new monuments and the rebuilding of earlier ones, particularly in the first half of the first century AD, as quarrying intensified following its expansion under Emperor Augustus. The displays also explore everyday life, including work and trade, religion and burial practices.

The exhibition continues with the political and cultural changes that followed the fall of the Roman Empire. Under Byzantine rule, Luna became the capital of the Provincia maritima Italorum, before passing into Lombard territory. As Christianity spread, the city became an episcopal seat serving a large diocese. Most archaeological evidence for this later period comes from the early Christian basilica, which became the cathedral. From the Carolingian period, it drew pilgrims and served as a stop on the Via Francigena. The story ends around 1200, when the episcopal chapter moved as environmental conditions changed and the harbour silted up. The harbour had been central to the city’s life since its foundation.

The project and exhibition design

The exhibition’s scholarly programme was developed by Antonella Traverso and Marcella Mancusi. The exhibition was designed by Giovanni Tortelli of GTRF. Giovanni Tortelli Roberto Frassoni Architetti Associati.

The Museum and Archaeological Site of Luni is part of the Italian Ministry of Culture and is managed by the Regional Directorate of National Museums of Liguria.

Map

Staff

Director: Marcella Mancusi

The following team provides visitor services, reception and security:

• Arianna Battolla
• Guido Bologna
• Donatella Bottari
• Veronica Caleo
• Sonia Curti
• Marina Foletti
• Alessandra Frisan
• Roberto Giustino
• Giuditta Kazantjis
• Stefano Lombardi
• Sonia Massa Trucat
• Luca Parodi
• Paola Peri
• Eliana Valenti

The Museum and Archaeological Site of Luni is a cultural site of the Italian Ministry of Culture and is part of the Regional Directorate of Museums of Liguria.