The Civic Archaeological Museum of the city of Savona [PHOTO GALLERY]

"... .. On the Corso in the large square in front of the great castle of Priamàr, which is the glory and the symbol of the city, the land torn by excavations revealing ancient buildings ... On top of Priamàr, among the remains of a story that overlaps, crosses, interrupts and resumes without stopping, thought risks to get lost, the re-enactment to be complex and difficult ... but in reality it is amplified and lights when we place the exhibits in the background of a thousand year old story ... "Sabatino Moscati (1922-1997) archaeologist and president of the National Academy of Lincei

The Civic Archaeological Museum of the city of Savona was inaugurated on April 7, 1990 with the reopening of a part of the complex of Priamàr to the public. The museum, located on the ground floor and the first floor of the Palazzo della Loggia, combines the charm of the archaeological tour with the exhibition materials. The setup, curated by Guido Canali with financing of the City and the Cassa di Risparmio di Savona, is in a perspective of continuous renewal for a necessary expansion of the exhibition space and to adapt to the dynamics of the scientific content of the excavation and the work of restoration.

An enchanting integration between museum and archaeological site allows the visitor to take a journey back in time, experiencing environments that in later ages had different functions, through the exhibition of finds arranged chronologically.

From the medieval Umbrella hall, home of the ticket office and reception areas, we go into the second room, which displays the oldest finds: old collections with materials of heterogeneous origin and artifacts found in archaeological excavations on Priamàr, from proto-historic age to the late ancient and early medieval.

In the charming area used for the reconstruction of the Byzantine necropolis (IV-VII century AD.), you can identify the stages of settlement of the millennial life of Priamàr: from the traces of the village of the Ligurian Sabazi to relevant structures of medieval Palazzo della Loggia.

The exhibition of the second floor is dedicated to medieval and post-medieval, with finds from excavations on Priamàr and part of the city, in particular those where had located the ancient districts of St. Dominic and Cassari: from Islamic and Byzantine ceramics  imported in Savona in early Middle Ages to the Modern Age majolica.

The Museum is part of the circuit MUSA (Civic Museums Savona) and is managed, on behalf of the municipal administration, the International Institute of Ligurian Studies, non-profit organization based in Bordighera, which have been entrusted the Museums of Ventimiglia, Albenga, Finale Ligure, the Historical Archive Ingauno and cares an intense scientific, research and publishing activity.

Itinerary for people with visual impairments in the Archaeological Museum of Savona.

May 5, 2003 was opened the itinerary for people with visual impairments in the Archaeological Museum of Savona. Course, set up through the efforts of Section Sabazia the International Institute of Ligurian Studies and cooperation of the Archaeological Superintendence of Liguria, the Municipality of Savona and the provincial section of the Italian Union for the Blind, drawing on the skills of the staff of the Museum, specializing in archeology and sensitive to the problems of the disabled.

The primary objective of the initiative is to allow blind users to enjoy the museum space. The blind user can read some printed in Braille (or black properly magnified, for visually impaired users) who will inform of the nature of the course and what will be in the museum. During the visit, you will hear an audio guide which relates the history of the settlement and the museum.

He can explore by touch some stone artefacts (a Roman imperial frieze, depicting hunting scenes and animals; a parapet and a pillar found in the area of ​​the Cathedral of Santa Maria from the eighth-ninth century AD; a sarcophagus belonging Cardinal Spinola, 1522; some slate pieces belonging to the medieval Palazzo della Loggia and some marble elements that are part of the decoration of the church of San Domenico the Elder); in a shop window, you will find some original exhibits, which allow the same user to have an initial understanding of the forms of ceramics produced in Savona in the Middle Ages. In addition to these, there are some fragments or 'waste furnace' and jars or other remanufactured artifacts, that allow the user a better understanding of form and decoration. He will also touch some amphorae from Roman times specially set up.

In addition to the materials that the blind (and partially sighted) can explore by touch, synthetic panels have been set up and printed in Braille, as well as explanatory and informative articles on specialized websites and in magazines. It was also made an adapted version of the already existing audio guide.

The one presented here is only a first group: the integrated design of the itinerary is actually larger, and comes to understand the creation of a true course through the entire exhibition area and that of the late ancient necropolis (to allow all  blind user to acquire more information on the environment, through the activation of the senses, other than sight), the construction of a model of the fortress that houses the Museum and raised panels regarding the main forms and decorative motifs of Savona's ceramic productions and the reproduction of characteristic ceramic, disposable for hypo and blind users, that will explore tactilely.

Opening Hours:
Winter (September 15-June 15) From Wednesday to Friday 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. / 2.30 p.m. to 4 30 p.m. From Saturday to Monday from 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday closed
Summer (June 16 to September 14) Monday to Sunday from 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday closed

Prices: (valid from March 1, 2013):

Full rate € 4
Reduced rate € 2
-Groups over 10 people with free admission to the museum  
-Order of Architects province of Savona -Members Coop, ARCI, FMR, AUSER, Touring Club, Ames, Meridioni d 'Europe, Anmil, CTS (tourist and student youth) 
-Young people between 18 and 30 years having the youth card
Free entrance
-Under 18, over 65 years old
-University students
-Disabled and one companion
 -Journalists
-Teachers and tour guides who accompany their group members
-Members of International Institute of Ligurian Studies (IISL)
-Subscribers Turin Museums Card

Teaching and guided tours 

Guided tour Museum (groups of 10 people): € 5
Guided tour of the museum and the Fortezza (groups of 10 people): € 7
Guided tour of the museum and the Fortezza (school groups): € 4
Educational workshops for schools + input Museum: € 4

 Rent audio guides:
-for the Museum: € 2 (in addition to the entrance fee)
-for the Fortress: € 4
-Special Museum + Fortress: € 6 (includes admission to the Museum and the rental of  audio guide for the Museum and the Fortress) For the audioguide is required to issue a document of identity. 

Civic Archaeological Museum and the Town Monument Complex Fortress Priamàr
C.so Mazzini, 1-17100 Savona
Tel. 019 822 708 info @ museoarcheosavona.it

[An article about the Priamàr fortress, next week].