Description
The Palazzina delle Arti "L. R. Rosaia" is a neo-medieval building on Via del Prione, La Spezia's historic street, home to an unusual museum: the Museo Civico del Sigillo, with more than 1,500 original seals from the 4th millennium BC to the present day.
The collection shows how the way people "signed" changed through history: from the first seals of the Fertile Crescent to Egyptian amulets in stone or ceramic, from Roman signet rings to medieval, Baroque and Art Nouveau pieces, all the way to objects from pre-Columbian America, China, Japan and the Islamic world. One section is devoted to creations by René Lalique and Fabergé.
The seals were collected over thirty years by Lilian and Euro Capellini, who donated them to the city. The building, designed by Franco Oliva in 1924, began life as the public health office; today it also houses a library of art history and archaeology, and temporary exhibitions.
The collection shows how the way people "signed" changed through history: from the first seals of the Fertile Crescent to Egyptian amulets in stone or ceramic, from Roman signet rings to medieval, Baroque and Art Nouveau pieces, all the way to objects from pre-Columbian America, China, Japan and the Islamic world. One section is devoted to creations by René Lalique and Fabergé.
The seals were collected over thirty years by Lilian and Euro Capellini, who donated them to the city. The building, designed by Franco Oliva in 1924, began life as the public health office; today it also houses a library of art history and archaeology, and temporary exhibitions.