Lapidary Museum of the Duomo, Modena
Lapidary Museum of the Duomo (Museo del Duomo) in Modena has very rich collection, which holds not only a liturgical but also an artistic value. Due to the heterogeneity of the collection, it is divided into two parts – the Cathedral Museum and the Lapidary Museum. It demonstrates the history of itself, beginning with ancient Roman times. But this is not boring, because the history of the cathedral is very long and fascinating.
History of the museum
It all started from the idea of preserving the objects found during excavations and restoration of the cathedral at the end of the 19th century. Then a museum was organized in the premises of the cathedral, mainly consisting of lapidary exhibits. The next addition of the collection occurred in 1950. In 1956 the museum changed its premises to more suitable ones, on the ground floor, overlooking the old cathedral monastery. In 1994, it experienced a new reorganization, during which the exhibits were thematically grouped and placed in the proper order. In commemoration of the 2000 years from the birth of Christ the Cathedral Museum on the same floor was opened, in which many objects of decorative and liturgical nature are exhibited. In 2018, a significant restoration of the museum is planned, which should be completed in 2020.
Lapidary Museum
The first, and the older part of the museum, includes sculptures and reliefs from the Roman era, used mainly as a secondary material for the construction of the cathedral, as well as fragments of the early medieval cathedral, relics, ancient and relatively modern inscriptions. The collection is exhibited in two halls. The route starts from a set of marble slabs of the early Christianity of the 1st and 9th centuries, the latter decorated with medieval floral motifs. Then you can see the beautiful marble altar and the Ark of Saint Geminiano, as well as the reliefs of the 13th-century Campionesi masters. In the second room there is an original series of 8 Metopes of the 11th-century, which depict fantastic creatures from folk legends. All of them were made in the local workshop of Wiligelmo. Also there is one of the lions of the cathedral gate, damaged in 1944 during the bombing.
Cathedral Museum
All those items that can be called the treasure of the cathedral are here. These are furniture, sculptures, ancient relics, textiles, paintings and texts. They represent a rich history of the temple, from the 1st century to the 19th century. The exposition is exhibited in 6 halls:
- The first hall. This is one of the oldest parts of the collection, and the most valuable, that indicates the worshiping of the holy Geminiano, patron of Modena. Among the exhibits there are the altar of 1106, the episcopal symbols of the 13th century, the copper statue of San Geminiano in 1376.
- The second hall. It is a continuation of the exposition of the objects dedicated to the worshipping of the saint. The collection includes the golden goblet of San Geminiano of the 14th century, the pastoral of 1558 and paintings from the 16th and 18th centuries, and also church utensils (vases, candlesticks, lamps, icons).
- The third and fourth halls. Rich and beautiful examples of clerical clothes of the 18-19th century are exhibited here, as well as an icon of Christ made out of ivory of the 18th century.
- The fifth hall. It holds a collection of tapestries. The most valuable of them – 2 Flemish tapestries with scenes from the Book of Genesis, made in 1560. They are part of an exclusive cycle, produced in Brussels.
- The sixth hall. A unique collection of ancient texts and manuscripts is stored here. Among them, Leges salicae, made in the period 870-950, with the legislative code of 5 Germanic peoples. Also, books with the history of the Cathedral are exhibited in the hall.
How to get there
The museum is located in the city's Cathedral in the heart of Modena, in the historic neighborhoods, Via Lanfranco, 6. In the neighborhood stands one of the symbols of the city – the Ghirlandina belltower, and a monument to the writer Alexander Tassoni stands on the square near it. Nearby there is a bus stop Duomo (routes 6, 11, 11A).
Opening hours: from April to September – from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 15:30 to 18:30. From October to March – from 9:30 to 12:30 and from 15:00 to 18:00. Monday is a day off. Phone number: (+39) 059 4396969.
Admission: the price of the full ticket is 4 euro, with a discount – 3 euro. The discount is valid for students (18-25), pensioners (over 65) and groups of 15 people. For students, the ticket price is 1.5 euros. For children under 6 and people with disabilities – admission is free. Data of June 2018.
