Museo Archeologico al Teatro Romano

The Museo Archeologico al Teatro Romano occupies the former convent of San Girolamo on the slope of Colle San Pietro, directly above the Roman Theatre at Regaste Redentore 2 in Verona, in the Veneto region of Italy. The museum was established in the nineteenth century after the excavation of the theatre, and the convent buildings, with their terraces, cloister and garden, provide an atmospheric setting. The collection covers the pre-Roman, Roman and early medieval periods in Verona and its territory. Visitors can see mosaics from Roman houses, bronzes, glass, ceramics, sculpture, portrait busts, funerary monuments and inscriptions, along with architectural fragments from the theatre itself. Particular attention is given to the material culture of the Roman colony and to the Etruscan and Venetic background of the region. The museum is arranged on several levels of the former convent, and the visit moves upward through the building, combining chronological and thematic groupings. The route is linked with the theatre, so objects can be read against the monument below, and from the upper terraces there are views across the Adige to the old town. The building has been restored at different times, and the displays have been updated, though the convent character, with vaulted rooms and small chapels, remains. The museum is run by the civic museums of Verona, and the ticket also covers the theatre. Visitors with an interest in archaeology will find it a compact and rewarding stop, particularly when combined with a walk across Ponte Pietra. Some floors may close earlier than the theatre, so it is sensible to arrive in good time and to check the current opening hours on the museum website before visiting.