Gregorian Etruscan Museum, Archaeological museum in Belvedere Villa, Vatican City.
The Gregorian Etruscan Museum is an archaeological collection in the Belvedere Villa in Vatican City, with twenty-two exhibition rooms displaying artifacts from southern Etruria. The objects date from the ninth to the first century BC and provide a comprehensive overview of the material culture from this ancient civilization.
Pope Gregory XVI founded this museum in 1837 to preserve archaeological discoveries from excavations in the northern Lazio region. The collections created by the pope's initiative have since become a major source for understanding Etruscan civilization in central Italy.
The collection displays bronze objects, glass pieces, and terracotta items that reveal how Etruscan society transformed over centuries of development. Visitors see these artifacts and understand how craftsmanship and artistic skills evolved in this ancient civilization.
Visitors can reach this museum through the Vatican Museums complex and explore it from Monday to Saturday. It helps to wear comfortable shoes, as the exhibition rooms are spread across different levels and require considerable walking.
The building houses Bramante's double-helix staircase from 1512, an architectural masterwork from the Renaissance period. Many visitors overlook this remarkable structure while focusing on the exhibitions, even though it stands as a defining feature of the residence.
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