The museum’s exhibition itinerary shows how sculpture, architecture and design have changed over time. More than 200 works displayed over 1,500 square metres allow visitors to embark on a visual and tactile journey through form and material, from Classical Antiquity to the present day.
Copies of sculptures and architectural models
On the first floor, plaster and resin casts of undisputed masterpieces of art, from ancient Greece to Neoclassicism, interact with our architectural models.
Among the most famous replicas are the Discobolus, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, the scale model of the Parthenon, the Capitoline She-wolf, and the volumetric and sectional model of the Pantheon.
The Medieval section, spanning the Romanesque and Gothic periods, focuses on the city of Ancona and its cathedral. One area is dedicated to the translation of famous paintings into high relief, and another to the mimicry of the human face, showing how emotions are reflected in different facial expressions.
The Renaissance room houses the model of St Peter’s Basilica and the powerful works of Michelangelo: the Pietà from St Peter’s, the Rondanini Pietà, the Pitti and Taddei Tondi, Moses, David and more.
The forms of Classicism continue in the Neoclassical section dedicated to the Sculpted Movement, on loan from the Louvre, which celebrates bodily expressiveness.
Original sculptures
The second floor hosts original contemporary sculptures. Numerous Italian and international artists have given figurative or abstract forms to materials such as stone, wood, terracotta, metal, plastic and glass.
Alongside Michelangelo Pistoletto’s large installation Italia riciclata, the collection includes more than 60 works by Giorgio De Chirico, Pietro Consagra, Arturo Martini, Marino Marini, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Valeriano Trubbiani, Edgardo Mannucci, Umberto Mastroianni, André Barelier, Jesper Neergaard, Alik Cavaliere, Pierre Carron, Pietro Annigoni, Francesco Messina, Vittorio Morelli, Floriano Bodini, Rosario Ruggiero, Sanzio Blasi, Bruno Fanesi, Loreno Sguanci, Giuliano Vangi, Bruno Ceccobelli, Girolamo Ciulla, Walter Valentini, Tiziana Felicioni, Roberto Papini, Sergio Zanni, Aron Demetz, Paolo Annibali, Felice Tagliaferri, Gino Marotta, Paolo Nicolai, Marco Lodola.
Design objects
On the ground floor is the Design section: 32 objects that have marked the history of Italian design can be handled and explored.
Among the manufacturers are Anonima Castelli, Alessi, Artemide, Bialetti, Brionvega, Danese, Dainese, Fiam, Flos, Gufram, Guzzini, IFI, Kartell, Magis, Minerva, Olivetti, Pandora Design, Piaggio, Tod’s, Siemens, Voiello and Zanotta.
Accessibility
The entire collection can be explored by touch and offers descriptions in Braille and large print. Mobile platforms with steps are available to explore the taller sculptures. The Design section includes “Fuori tutti”, a quiet space where visitors can take a relaxing break. All areas are easily accessible thanks to lifts and are equipped with dedicated reception and accessibility services.