National Archaeological Museum of Ferrara

Housed in the palace designed by Biagio Rossetti for Antonio Costabili, the museum preserves evidence of the necropolis and the settlement of Spina, the flourishing Etruscan commercial port which between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC was one of the central hubs of the region.
On display are some of the grave goods found in over 4,000 tombs, artifacts of impressive beauty among which stands out a magnificent collection of 5th-century BC red-figure Attic vases.
Recently expanded and rearranged with state-of-the-art exhibits, the museum boasts a “Treasure Room” frescoed by Garofalo, the Dugout Canoes Room, monoxyl boats from the late Roman period (3rd-4th century AD), and the “Gold Room” with gold, silver, amber, and glass paste jewelry dating back to the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
On the ground floor, four rooms – two of which are frescoed by Garofalo and his school – are dedicated to “the city of the living,” the settlement of Spina, cults and myths, peoples and scripts. The route ends with one of the “virtual libraries” introducing visitors to the necropolis.
The main floor, in line with the original 1930s setup, is devoted to the necropolis of the Etruscan city and features masterpieces of Attic vase painting, Etruscan bronzes, and precious imported objects from all over the Mediterranean.