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The Municipal Antiquarium of Sutri: two thousand years of history in four rooms
The Antiquarium Comunale of Sutri brings together the past traces of a town that was once Etruscan, Roman and Medieval. The museum features sculptures, epigraphs, and frescoes, housed in four rooms on the ground floor and basement of the Palazzo della Comunità in the historic centre. Though not a large museum, it is packed with significant works, ranging from Cosmati fragments from the cathedral to a Mithras slab on loan from the National Roman Museum.
The building and its location
The 15th-century building served as the seat of the local council until the 1800s, before later becoming a Public Hospital. Today, it also houses the Historical Archives and the Library. Its location is strategic: as the "new" medieval village grew along the Via Cassia, a site was needed halfway between the ancient civitas on the tuff spur and the new settlement at the foot of the valley.
The exhibition layout
The itinerary begins with artefacts from the cathedral: Cosmati mosaics featuring semi-precious stones, glass paste, and gold leaf. It then moves on to Etruscan and Roman finds. The final section is dedicated to the cult of Mithras: seven panels, representing the seven degrees of Mithraic initiation, lead visitors towards the final commemorative slab.
