Museo nazionale Atestino

Since 1902 the National Atestino Museum is based in Palazzo Mocenigo erected at the end of 16th century. The façade encompasses a section of walls that used to surround the 13th century Carraresi castle. The rooms, numbered from I-XI (Roman numbering) and organised chronologically, lead us through various civilisations that occupied the centre of Este and the surrounding territories from most ancient times, through Roman Age, all the way to Medieval Age and Renaissance. The tour begins in room I located at the main floor of the palace. This room is dedicated to prehistoric collection, from Palaeolithic at the end of Bronze Age, rooms II-V are dedicated to Veneto centre of Este (10th-3rd century A.D.) with its living areas, necropolises and sanctuaries. Rooms VI-X located on the ground floor hold the exhibits from the Roman centre of Ateste documenting public and private life, cults and funeral rituals. In the last room there are some Medieval and Renaissance monuments, there is also a rich collection of ceramics, mainly from Ateste, from Medieval Age through to the beginning of the 20th century.