About the museum:
The museum is situated in the historic town of Umag, in the mediaeval tower (14th - 15th c.) that served as a fortress in the fortification system defending the city from naval attacks.
Archaeological research of the tower and the reconstruction of the building began late in 2010; as such,the museum is closed to visitors until further notice. Temporary exhibitions are occasionally organized in other facilities in the town.
The archaeological collection is the largest of the collections because of the intensive archaeological investigations conducted by the museum on land and offshore Savudrija and Umag. Artefacts from Antiquity are predominant, the most attractive being ceramic lids for oil lamps in the form of gladiator helmets, a glass pitcher with a sanded decoration in the form of a honeycomb, a Carnelian gem with an image of Rea Silvia, and a set of gold jewellery. The period of the Modern Age is represented by items of painted table pottery (16th – 17th c.) from the workshop in Sv. Ivan Kornetski.
The collection of stone monuments comprises Antique epigraphic funerary monuments and modern-age coats of arms of the Venetian mayors and famous aristocratic families from Umag.
The collection of photographs holds photos from the life of writer Fulvio Tomizza, photos of the city of Umag and its surrounding area, and the photos of the inhabitants of Umag throughout history. The museum has a collection of postcards as well.
The holdings of the art collection comprise works by contemporary artists from Umag and the works of the Grožnjan Art Circle, whose members are artists living and working in Grožnjan.
The museum has organized and designed a cultural tourism project Sepomaia Viva – International Festival of Antiquity, combining historical and archaeological research, shows, education, exhibitions, and performances, and has thus enriched the tourist offer of Umag. The event is held annually and lasts three days during the first weekend in August.
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