After a nearly six-year hiatus, the National Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum “Giovanni Antonio Sanna", commonly known as Museo Nazionale “G.A. Sanna”, has just reopened to much fanfare in Sassari, Sardinia’s second largest city.
The inaugural event took place on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Spearheaded by the director of Sardinia’s regional museum management body, Luana Toniolo, and the GA Sanna Museum’s director, Elisabetta Grassi, the grand reopening also included a presentation by the General Director of Museums, Massimo Osanna.
Originally opened in 1932, the G.A. Sanna Museum is housed in a building that resembles a classical temple. Tracing the history of Sardinia from the Lower Paleolithic period up to the 18th century, the museum’s collection includes archaeological finds and relics from prehistoric, Nuragic, Phoenician, Punic, Roman, medieval and modern eras. Ancient pottery, jewelry and an impressive grouping of bronze and iron works are all on display.
The museum’s redevelopment project — part of a broader enhancement plan developed in conjunction with Italy’s Ministry of Culture — is an ambitious effort to increase the museum’s value through functional upgrades to spaces and a new, more modernized layout that will facilitate a better visitor experience.
The partial reopening is made possible thanks to the addition of a temporary room dedicated to the island’s traditional Sardinian garb. "On the Trail of Clement" is an exhibition of clothing, sorted by geographic area, from the second half of the 19th to the first half of the 20th century.
While a date for the full completion of the renovation project is pending, future plans for the museum include the launch of numerous initiatives that will invite the involvement of schools, non-profit associations and university programs. The goal is to create an inclusive environment that encourages participation in social, cultural and educational endeavors.
If you go
Museo Nazionale Archeologico ed Etnografico “Giovanni Antonio Sanna”
Via Roma 64, Sassari, Sardinia
Tel. +39 079 272203
drm-sar.museoarcheo.sassari@cultura.gov.it
Opening days and times, through September 3, 2022, are as follows:
Tue, Wed and Sat: 9am-1.30pm
Thu and Fri: 2.30-7.30pm
Closed: Sun and Mon
