The Civic Museum of Archaeology in Angera, housed in the 16th century residence of Palazzo Pretorio, comprises a prehistoric gallery and a Roman gallery.

The prehistoric gallery displays artefacts found in a Mithraic antrum, a natural cave called “the wolf’s lair” which was inhabited in prehistoric times and dedicated to the cult of the god Mithras in the Roman era. The artefacts include scrapers and axes from the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras.

The origins of the Roman gallery were in the excavations that the Mario Bertolone Historical and Archaeological Association carried out in the seventies and which found seventy or so tombs from a Roman necropolis. Apart from the burials, there is a fascinating collection of remains of houses, glass dishes, small pottery objects, coins, nails, knives, pottery fragments, remains of human and animal bones, and even carbonised bread.

The Museum also displays finds from the Roman village of Vicus Sebuinos vicus, dating from the period between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD.

Open: Monday 14.30–18.30; Tuesday 14.30–17.00; Thursday 10.00-12.00 and14.30-18.30; Saturday 9.00-12.00.