The history of the settlement of this territory from Antiquity to the Renaissance, illustrated through more than 2,000 objects displayed in the spaces of the old ecclesiastical complex of Saints Quirico and Lucia.
Montelupo Fiorentino, Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Montelupo Fiorentino is set in the green Park of Villa Medicea dell’Ambrogiana, in the spaces of the old ecclesiastical complex of Saints Quirico and Lucia, built atop the structures of a 7th-8th-century A.D. Christian building the vestiges of which can still be seen.
The more than 2,000 objects on display take visitors through the history of the settlement of this territory between the mid- Valdarno Fiorentino, the lower Val di Pesa and the southern part of Montalbano, from antiquity to the Renaissance.
The visit begins in the prehistoric period, with an extensive collection of lithic objects testifying to the earliest human settlements, continues with the Etruscan section, with finds from the village of Montereggi, and moves on to the Roman section featuring materials found in excavations at Villa del Vergigno in Montelupo and Villa dell’Oratorio in Limite sull’Arno. The visit concludes with pottery and everyday objects from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance found in excavations of the Wash-house well and the Tridente well, identified as kiln scrap dump.
Works by great masters, multimedia reconstructions with voices and stories from the territory and the communities it hosts, archaeological finds and historical arts and crafts: every museum in the area offers great little stories to discover.
Archaeology
Architectural plaque
One of the most significant items in the museum is this refined plaque, found at the bottom of the cistern of a house located near the top of the Montereggi hill; it was most likely an architectural decoration from a religious building. The female figure, framed by acanthus leaves, is depicted with a veil over her head and wears earrings and a necklace. The iconography suggests matronal divinities of the Roman pantheon, like Demeter, protectress of crops and agriculture, or Juno, goddess of fertility, the counterpart of the Etruscan Uni.
Stylistically, the work recalls 3rd-century B.C. models from the art of Magna Grecia (particularly from the area of Taranto).
Archaeology
Amphora
The Roman Villa of Vergigno (1st century B.C.-5th century A.D.) fits within the category of country villas, with a residential part where the owner lived, a sector to lodge workers on the property, and spaces for the production, processing and storage of produce and crops to be traded or sold.
Among the finds, which included coins, glass, and ceramic and metal objects, was a notable group of “Lamboglia 2”-type amphoras with evident production defects like deformations and fractures that occurred during the firing process. The Lamboglia 2 amphoras, dating between the end of the 2nd century B.C. and the end of the 1st century A.D. is associated with the transport of both oil and wine, allow us to establish the age of one phase of the villa, and also to attribute a function to the structure in which they were found.
Archaeology
Bronze basin
Found at the beginning of the 1970s in Fibbiana, a hamlet of Montelupo Fiorentino, in a drainage system on a bend in the Arno River, this is a rare example of a Northern European commemorative bronze basin. It is the only known embossed basin of this type with a central figure of Charlemagne, as indicated by the inscription “Karolus imperator” engraved around the central medallion.
The context in which this class of objects was used has not been defined; it may have been linked to ritual practices such as religious ceremonies like ablutions or purifications, or used as containers for blessings. Comparison with similar objects suggests dating to the first decades of the 12th century.
Montelupo and its surroundings have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Since its origins, between the 13th and 14th centuries, the Tuscan town was widely renowned for its remarkable ceramic production.
Montelupo Fiorentino is just outside of Florence, in a verdant area where the Pesa creek meets the River Arno. Numerous finds, now displayed at the Archeological Museum, attest that Montelupo and its surroundings have been inhabited since prehistoric times, and later also by Etruscan and Roman settlers. Since its origins, it was well known for its remarkable ceramic production, which brings tradition and modernity together in high-quality products with unique designs.
Several ceramics workshops are still open today, carrying on the town’s history of craftsmanship with skill and entrepreneurial spirit; one of the goals of the Museum of Ceramics is to preserve and celebrate the memory of this art form.
Montelupo also boasts the majestic Villa Medicea dell’Ambrogiana, standing on the left bank of the Arno, the river that passes through Florence and flows into the Ligurian Sea at Marina di Pisa, near Livorno. The Villa is located in a large park and it used to be one of the hunting lodges that belonged to the House of Medici, as well as the favorite residence of Cosimo III.
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IN ONE OF OUR 21 MUSEUMS
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Archaeological Museum
(Museo Archeologico)
Via Santa Lucia, 33
50056 – Montelupo Fiorentino (Firenze)
tel. +39 0571 917650
whatsapp: 339 4666461
e-mail: museo@comune.montelupo-fiorentino.fi.it
summer season
(from April 1st to October 31st)
Friday
2 pm – 6 pm
Saturday
9 am – 1 pm
winter season
(from November 1st to March 31st)
Friday and Saturday
9 am – 1 pm
On other days the museum is open by previous booking
Closed December 25 and 26, January 1, May 1 and August 15
Individual ticket
Standard: 5,00 €
Reduced: 4,00 €
Promotional ticket: 1,00 €
Type A reductions for:
– groups of at least 15 people;
– cardholders and Membership cardholders (FAI, Trenitalia, Soci Coop, Soci TCI, Edumusei, Cartagiovani, Firenze Card);
– over65;
– students up to 25 years old
Promotional ticket for:
It applies in the case of partnerships formalized through specific agreements with public or private entities, on the occasion of events organized within the local area (such as sporting events of at least regional level, conferences, and other initiatives of national scope, etc.), for which a mutual value in terms of enhancement and promotional opportunities for museum resources is recognized.
The ticket may also be applied in the case of participation in supra-local, regional, national, or international initiatives that provide for similar benefits.
Further information available HERE
MuDEV (Multi-site Museum of Empoli and Valdelsa)
operational headquarters
c/o Management Offices of the Leonardo Museum
Via della Torre 6, 50059 Vinci (Florence)
tel: +39 0571 933249
info@mu-dev.it
Tourist area Empolese Valdelsa and Montalbano
Piazza della Vittoria, 54
50053 – Empoli (FI)
tel: +39 0571 933284
info@toscananelcuore.it
