National Archaeological Museum Florence

The National Archaeological Museum Florence takes you on a fascinating journey through time across four ancient cultures. In the historic rooms, one of Europe's most significant archaeological collections awaits you with Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman treasures. The museum houses Italy's second largest Egyptian collection with impressive sarcophagi, mummies and Coptic textiles. Particularly noteworthy is the unique collection of Etruscan bronzes, including the world-famous "Chimera" – a mythical bronze statue depicting a creature part lion, part goat and part snake, discovered in Arezzo in 1533. Equally impressive are the "Arringatore" (Orator) and "Minerva". The Greek collection shines with the legendary François Vase, a masterpiece of black-figure ceramics whose exhibition room was redesigned in 2018 according to the most modern principles. This collection is based on the historic Medici-Lorraine collections, assembled over centuries. The coin collection, reopened in 2019, is one of the most extensive public collections of ancient coins. In the Gem Gallery, newly installed in 2018 in the corridor of Maria Maddalena de' Medici, you'll discover precious stones with ancient engravings. Unfortunately, due to lack of space, not all of the more than one hundred thousand valuable objects can be displayed – a treasure that mostly rests in storage and is only accessible during special exhibitions.