Museo Civico Archeologico 'Francesco Savini'

The Museo Civico Archeologico Francesco Savini is an archaeology museum located in Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy. Established in 1997 and owned by the municipal administration, it holds the most extensive local exhibition of ancient artifacts in the area. The museum is named in honor of Francesco Savini, a Teramo historian, archaeologist, and paleographer whose research focused on the geographic area of Teramo. It serves as the central hub of the Sistema Museale Città di Teramo, an organization that groups together archaeological sites and other museums in the center of Abruzzo.

The institution was established in 1997 to house and display the most substantial collection of local ancient artifacts. It operates under the ownership of the Teramo Municipal Administration. As part of the Sistema Museale Città di Teramo, also known by the acronym CMT, the museum coordinates with other civic cultural institutions, including the Pinacoteca civica and various local archaeological sites such as the Roman theater, the Roman amphitheater, the domus of Torre Bruciata, the domus of Largo Madonna delle Grazie, and the Necropoli di Ponte Messato.

The museum's exhibition space provides an overview of the local territory from prehistory to the Middle Ages and up to the Renaissance. The collection is cataloged from prehistory to the classical age and includes works and artifacts dating up to the end of the 18th century and beyond. The ground floor covers the period from the 12th century BC to the 7th century AD, focusing on the origins of the Roman settlement through the Early Middle Ages. The first floor displays artifacts from prehistory to the medieval period, reconstructing the history of the Praetutii and the Piceni, including materials from area caves, protohistoric necropolises, and Roman villas. The top floor preserves documents from the city's history originating from the Municipal Historical Archive.

Significant artifacts on the ground floor include archaeological evidence from local habitations, necropolises, and public buildings, notably the Mosaic of the Lion from a Roman domus, Roman marble sculptures, and a bust of Septimius Severus. The first floor houses terracotta statues from the Nymphaeum of Tortoreto, discovered in 1956, and a fragment of a sculptural group depicting the blinding of Polyphemus. Other notable sculptures on this floor include depictions of the muses Calliope, Euterpe, and Erato. The first floor also addresses medieval ceramic production and Teramo's Romanesque architecture.

The museum is housed in a historic palazzo in Teramo, situated a few steps from the cathedral and the Biblioteca provinciale Melchiorre Delfico. The building has changed use several times over the centuries and sits on an area first developed in the 13th century. In 1613, internal construction began for a church dedicated to St. Charles, to which a convent was added. In 1742, the convent was transformed into an orphanage, and the place of worship became known as the Chapel of the Conservatory of the Orphans of St. Charles. The building underwent restorations in 1833 and was expanded in 1842. In 1878, the orphanage was relocated, and the building was designated to become the Palazzo del Tribunale. Inside the museum is the San Carlo Auditorium, located in the space of the former chapel. Covering 175 square meters with a capacity of about 99 people, the auditorium includes two rooms for technical equipment and hosts conferences, seminars, concerts, and civil weddings.

The museum is located in the city of Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy. It is owned and operated by the local municipal administration. In addition to its permanent exhibition path, the institution organizes educational workshops, temporary exhibitions, guided tours, and other activities. The San Carlo Auditorium within the museum is available for socio-cultural initiatives, theatrical performances, book presentations, and civil weddings. Further information regarding access and programming is available through the Teramo civic museums website.