Archaeological Environmental Museum of San Giovanni: a dip into the Dark Ages

The Museum is located inside the historical building of Porta Garibaldi, a former penitentiary and it shows archeological proofs of the area, from Roman times to Middle Ages and Renaissance.

The ancient Porta Ferrara was completely rebuilt in 1830 by the engineer Filippetti and became a district prison. The building inside still preserves the original prison function: the caretaker’s house, the prison cells and the parlor. Now, it hosts the Environmental Archaeological Museum.

The exhibition is divided in three sections: Roman times, Middle Ages and Renaissance.

The Roman section collects finds of rustic and paving construction and domestic furniture, while the Medieval section is important to completely understand the structure of the “Borgo Rotondo”, comparing it to the structure of the ancient Medieval castle.

The Renaissance section collects fragments of pottery, the result of archeological excavation around the city center.