The National Archaeological Museum of Orvieto is located in the heart of the city, in Piazza del Duomo, in what had once been the Papal Palace, opposite the other city museum called Faina.
The museum displays a very rich collection of archaeological finds, discovered over the centuries, in the sites that gravitate around the city: from the Etruscan necropolis of Crocifisso di tufo and Cannicella, which extend outwards from the foot of the cliff, to smaller surrounding centres such as Porano and other recent discoveries made in on-going excavations at the site of Campo della Fiera, identified with the very famous Fanum Voltumnae.
Among the ceramic finds of various kinds and origins, the ‘buccheri’ (shiny black ceramics) of Etruscan production are fascinating, as are the bronze statues and other objects related to the funerary equipment of the families buried in the necropolis.
One room is dedicated to the reconstruction of the two Golini tombs. These are two sepulchral environments found at the end of the 19th century, with walls bearing very interesting decorative frescos for the reconstruction of ancient daily life. To ensure the preservation of the paintings, they were removed from the original place and placed in the museum in perfect compliance with their true original location. The scenes describe, in great detail, the funeral banquet of the deceased in the presence of the underworld, surrounded by servants engaged in the preparation of foodstuffs.