博物馆 The Museum Complex of Sovana

The museum complex of Sovana consists of three of the most distinctive historic buildings of the little town, which face on to its central square: the Museum of San Mamiliano, the Praetorian Palace, and the Small Palace of the Archives.

The Museum was opened in 2012, after substantial reinforcement works, carried out in order to transform the church of San Mamiliano into a museum structure.  The archeological explorations not only brought to light an ancient Roman public bathing establishment, previously hidden beneath the church floor, along with the crypt and numerous medieval and Renaissance tombs, but also the recovery of an extraordinary small treasure trove from late antiquity, namely 498 gold coins dating from the fifth century CE. This discovery persuaded the archeological Superintendancy and the municipal Administration to modify the original exhibition project, which envisaged the realisation of an Etruscan museum. In fact, this was achieved, through the former church becoming a museum, and by leaving an important section of the excavation in full view, as well as by displaying archeological finds from the city’s Roman phase, while devoting ample exhibition space to the hoard of gold coins.