S. Albano Stura’s treasure soon available to the public

The project for the Civic Museum of Cuneo in agreement with the Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Piedmont has reached its final stage. 14 grave goods (7 from men’s graves and 7 from women’s graves) taken from the archaeological sites in Sant’Albano Stura between 2009 and 2011 will be set up in the museum.

The Longobard necropolis was uncovered and excavated (first in 2009, later in 2011) in the Ceriolo district during the construction works for the Asti-Cuneo motorway and is unique in Italian archaeological history for its size and the great number of tombs (around 776 so far). The necropolis is located on the fluvial terrace of the river Stura. The tombs are aligned in long parallel rows from north to south, each of them containing 40 to 50 graves on average. Although there is nothing left of the skeletons due to the soil acidity, the grave goods show that the cemetery was used for about a century, the 7^th, until the extension in the beginning of the 8^th century A.D.

The hall on the first floor of the Civic Museum in Cuneo will be transformed in an innovative and original way, taking into account the increasing diversity of the museum visitors. What is more, the museum will be up to date with the most modern technologies, including videos, an enlargement of the reconstruction of the necropolis set in the 7^th century A.D., as well as tactile reproductions of the archaeological dig and of the fabrics used in the period. This third and decisive reorganization step has been co-financed by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo through the Tender for Enhancement 2014 – Cultural Heritage Section.