The collection primarily consists of grave goods excavated from over 4,000 tombs in the necropolis of Spina.
The Palazzo Costabili is also known as the Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro, despite it never being owned by the Duke of Milan.
The Sala del Tesoro displays an illusionistic architectural fresco cycle depicting a room filled with imaginary objects.
Spina was a major maritime hub that functioned as a commercial bridge between Greece and the Italian peninsula.
The museum holds one of the world's most significant collections of Attic ceramic art outside of Greece.
The archaeological site of Spina remained lost and waterlogged in the Po Delta until aerial photography revealed its layout in the 1950s.
The palace's courtyard architecture remains a classic example of the 'Addizione Erculea' urban expansion of Ferrara.
Some vessels in the collection are signed by famous Athenian master potters and painters such as Douris and Polygnotos.
The National Archaeological Museum of Ferrara is housed in the Palazzo Costabili, a 16th-century Renaissance palace designed by Biagio Rossetti. The museum serves as the primary repository for artifacts recovered from the Etruscan city of Spina, which flourished in the Po Delta from the 6th to the 3rd century BCE. Its collection features thousands of Greek pottery vessels, particularly Attic red-figure and black-figure vases, imported to the ancient port. The palace interiors retain significant frescoes, including the Sala del Tesoro, painted by Garofalo. The museum's layout follows the chronological and topographical history of the Spina necropolis. Visitors can observe gold jewelry, bronze figurines, and ceramic funerary goods in a historic setting. It remains a critical site for studying the commercial and cultural exchange between the Greek world and the Etruscan civilization. The palace itself is noted for its distinctive courtyard and double-arched gallery.
The central courtyard with its ornate Renaissance arches and geometric floor patterns.
Focus on the first-floor 'Sala del Tesoro' to appreciate the Renaissance trompe-l'œil ceiling work.
Allow extra time to admire the central courtyard, which is often less crowded than the main galleries.
Use the provided information panels to trace the specific shipwrecks or tomb contexts of the pottery.
Do not rush through the ground floor; the significance of the Spina finds is best understood by reviewing the introductory tomb-context displays first.
Closed on Mondays.
