Archaeological Museum of Savona

The Archaeological Museum of Savona, officially known as the Civico Museo Archeologico e della Citta di Savona, is a historical and archaeological institution located in Savona, Italy. Situated within the Priamar Fortress, specifically in the fifteenth century Palazzo della Loggia, the museum presents the history of the Priamar promontory and the town of Savona from antiquity to the modern era. Its collections combine older Mediterranean objects with artifacts recovered from twentieth century excavations, with a particular strength in regional ceramic products. The museum spans two floors and integrates original archaeological excavation pits directly into the visitor route.

Prior to its establishment, the archaeological collection of Savona lacked a permanent home and was stored across various locations, largely hidden from public view. The idea for a permanent museum in Palazzo della Loggia emerged after a temporary exhibition in 1979 showcased the results of excavations carried out in the Priamar Fortress. These excavations were conducted by the International Institute of Ligurian Studies under the direction of Nino Lamboglia, and later Carlo Varaldo and Rita Lavagna. The museum officially opened on April 7, 1990, coinciding with the reopening of a section of the Priamar complex to the public. Its initial installation was curated by Guido Canali and the International Institute of Ligurian Studies, with funding from the Municipality and the Cassa di Risparmio di Savona. The first floor was completely reinstalled between 2013 and 2014 by the same institute to reflect new archaeological data.

The museum's holdings are deeply rooted in the archaeological investigations of the Priamar promontory, with ninety two percent of the exhibited artifacts originating from excavations conducted by the International Institute of Ligurian Studies between 1969 and 1989. The collection spans from the Middle Bronze Age to the modern era. Ceramics serve as the primary narrative thread, illustrating both intense maritime trade and local production. Imported wares, including Islamic and Byzantine pieces, document the city's medieval Mediterranean commerce, while locally produced ceramics, attested from the late twelfth century, underscore Savona's role as a major medieval and modern production center. Additionally, the museum holds older, heterogeneous collections of mosaics, marble reliefs, glass, and bronze objects from the classical periods that are not directly tied to the Priamar site.

On the ground floor, notable holdings include protohistoric, classical, and early medieval finds, alongside the visible remains of a Byzantine necropolis dating from the fourth to seventh centuries AD, which contains traces of the Liguri Sabazi village. A section added in 2019 in the medieval Sala ad Ombrello is dedicated to the ancient cathedral of Savona, which was closed for worship in 1543 and destroyed in 1595 for the expansion of the Genoese fortress. The first floor features artifacts detailing the city's urban development, including sections on the medieval San Domenico church and convent complex, the Cassari district, and the ten oratories of the Confraternities that stood on the Priamar until their demolition between 1542 and 1544. The museum also displays notable Ligurian ceramics from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, some donated by collectors to the Centro Ligure per la storia della Ceramica.

The museum is housed in the Palazzo della Loggia, also known as the fifteenth century Loggia del Castello Nuovo, located within the monumental complex of the Priamar Fortress. The Priamar promontory was the historical heart of the ancient civitas before the Republic of Genoa demolished the medieval city center starting in 1542 to construct the military fortress. The building itself sits atop layers of buried history, allowing the museum to integrate in situ archaeological areas directly into its architecture. Visitors traverse spaces that served different functions across various eras, moving from the medieval Sala ad Ombrello on the ground floor through rooms that incorporate original excavation pits, including those within the structures of the medieval palace of the Loggia.

The museum is located at Corso Giuseppe Mazzini 1, within the Complesso Monumentale del Priamar in Savona. It is managed by the International Institute of Ligurian Studies, which also operates the facility's scientific library specializing in medieval archaeology, ceramology, history, and local culture. The museum is part of the MUSA civic museum network of Savona and is integrated into the regional museum systems of Liguria and the Province of Savona. Facilities include barrier free access to the library, a tactile path with Braille panels for visually impaired visitors, audio guides, and interactive computer stations. The museum conducts educational activities with schools and collaborates with Italian and foreign research institutions. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 to 16:00, and weekends from 10:00 to 15:30, remaining closed on Mondays.