About
The Museo Lapidario Estense is a museum devoted to stone: ancient inscriptions, sculptures and other epigraphic material from the Roman and medieval periods. Its collection is gathered in one specialised space, so a visit is focused on carved stone and the written and figurative traces it preserves, rather than a broad survey of many subjects. It is also known in English as the Este Lapidary Museum.
Where it is and how it fits in
The museum stands in Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, at Largo Porta Sant'Agostino 337. It forms part of the Palazzo dei Musei complex, so it can be visited as one stop among several in the same building group.
What a visit offers
- Roman and medieval stone inscriptions, which are the core of the collection
- Sculptures and other carved materials from the same periods
- A close look at epigraphy, the study of written texts on stone, for visitors with an interest in history or language
Because the museum is compact and specialised, it suits a visitor who wants to spend a focused hour or so with a particular kind of object, and who may then continue to the other collections housed in the same complex.
Planning your trip
To check current arrangements before you go, you can call the museum on +39 059 2033110. The museum is best approached as part of a day in Modena, a city whose historic centre and museum buildings make a walking visit easy to combine with this one.
