Pesaro's Oliveriano Archaeological Museum Reopens After Renovation

The Museo Archeologico Oliveriano in Pesaro reopens on December 13, 2022, after a renovation by Rome-based architecture firm STARTT, costing over €1.2 million. The museum, located in the 17th-century Palazzo Almerici, now features four thematic sections covering local history from the Picene period to the late Roman Empire. The layout is designed as an homage to artist Jannis Kounellis, emphasizing the use of fragments. The scientific direction was overseen by MiC archaeologist Chiara Delpino. Highlights include the 'stele della battaglia navale' (found in 1866), the Picene necropolis of Novilara with finds from Edoardo Brizio's 1892-1893 excavations and recent campaigns by the Soprintendenza Archeologia delle Marche, the lucus pisaurensis sacred grove linked to Romanization, and a section on 18th-century collecting featuring artifacts from Annibale degli Abbati Oliveri and Giovan Battista Passeri. The museum, originally inaugurated in 1793, moved to Palazzo Almerici in 1885 and suffered damage from the 1916 earthquake and WWII. It last reopened in 1967 without a scientific layout. Managed by Fondazione Ente Olivieri, the museum offers free admission on opening day and reduced hours through December 31, with free entry for under-18s.