Musée archéologique de Nice-Cimiez, Archaeological museum in Cimiez district, Nice, France.
The Archaeological Museum of Nice-Cimiez is an archaeology museum on the Cimiez hill, built in 1989 to a design by architect Wladimir Mitrofanoff directly over the Roman site of Cemenelum. Its galleries hold ceramics, coins, inscriptions and sculpture from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages, including a 1st-century statue of Antonia Minor found in 1957 in the frigidarium of the northern baths.
The museum sits near the ancient ruins of Cemenelum, which became the capital of the Roman province of Alpes Maritimae starting in 14 BC. This position made the settlement a major center for trade and administration throughout antiquity.
The name Cimiez derives from the Roman Cemenelum, whose cardo and decumanus can still be walked outside the museum. Each year the amphitheatre, which held up to 5,000 spectators, hosts a jazz festival. Inside, the 1st-century statue of Antonia Minor found in the frigidarium of the Thermes du Nord in 1957 is a highlight.
The museum features multiple connected gallery spaces with clear layouts, allowing visitors to view objects in chronological order. It is best to plan a few hours to explore the different collection areas at a comfortable pace.
Visitors can explore the remains of an ancient Roman complex with thermal baths dating to the 3rd century on the site. Additionally, traces of a Palaeo-Christian settlement from the 5th century are visible, revealing how the region underwent religious and social transformation.
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