Museo Oliveriano, Pesaro

Stelae from Novilara with inscription

Museo Oliveriano

Location	Pesaro
Type	Archaeology museum

Museo Oliveriano is an archaeology museum in Pesaro, region of the Marche, Italy.

History

The museum occupies a former aristocratic residence, the Palazzo Almerici. It houses a collection of Greek bronze statuettes, Ancient Roman art and artifacts, including sculpture, ceramics, and numismatic collection. It also has objects excavated for the 7-8 A.C (pre-Roman) burial at the necropolis of Novilara. Among the most intriguing findings from that site are portions of stelae inscribed with North Picene language and one depicting a sea battle with a Liburna. Also present is the bronze “tabula fabrorum”. The museums also have artifacts from the sacred grove of Lucus Pisaurensis and the pre-Roman Votive Stones of Pesaro.

The museum includes many Latin epitaphs. It also has a collection of post-roman medallions. Adjacent to the museum is the Biblioteca Oliveriana, a library founded in the mid-18th century.

The idea of a public museum for these artifacts arose with the scholar Giovanni Battista Passeri (1694-1780). Included in his collections were the findings of Annibale degli Abati Olivieri (1708-1789) at the Lucus Pisaurensis. In 1756, the Museo Archeologico Oliveriano was begun, but no open to the public until 1793, displayed in the Palazzo Olivieri-Macchirelli. In 1885, the various collections in possession of the city were brought to this site.