The Best Italian Museums That You've Never Heard Of

Art, architecture, culture, history, the finer things in life, these are all on offer in Italy in abundance. There is no shortage of museums, art galleries, architectural gems, castles, palaces, churches and other attractions all over the country and many are incredibly famous worldwide. These are things that make it onto bucket lists and can be the single motivating factor for people when deciding to visit Italy. However, for every Uffizi Gallery, Sistine Chapel and Medici palace there are also plenty of outstanding museums that you have probably never heard of. We thought these lesser-known heroes deserved a mention so we compiled a list of museums and galleries where you'll avoid the crazy lines and floods of tourists and will get to experience wonderful highlights of Italian art, architecture, history and culture.

The National Archaeological Museum of Mantua is a particularly interesting museum with one very special exhibition quite unlike anything you are likely to find anywhere else. The so-called "Lovers of Valdaro" are a pair of Neolithic corpses that were found buried together, entangled and facing each other, in February 2007 in the village of Valdaro, just outside of Mantua. When they were discovered, they quickly captured the attention and the imagination of scientists and romantics alike the world over and prompted Shakespearean references aplenty. While this is not the only Neolithic burial ever found to contain more than one person, double burials are rare, and the pose and the positioning of this couple are particularly unique. Research is on-going but it has been discovered that the two bodies were positioned this way after death and did not die while embracing, yet the romance in their being placed this way raises many more questions that we have yet to find answers to. The “lovers” were never separated, but removed and preserved intact and they are still together, on display in the museum. If you are a hopeless romantic, they will prove one more reason to find a holiday rental in Lombardy.

For art-lovers, the Museo Canova in the town of Possagno is a must. Dedicated to one of the greatest artists of the neoclassical period, the original collection came directly from Canova's Roman studio and was then transferred to the purpose-built space, housed inside an older 17th century Venetian palace in the town. It is divided into different areas: the private quarters, laboratory, gallery and modern wing. The older parts of the house even feature some of the artist's original furniture. The gallery, a 19th-century gypsotheque, is a neoclassical barrel-vaulted space that holds most of the plaster cast models from which the artist made various works and commissions. It is a beautiful space and once you have found a holiday rental in Veneto, is a nice alternative to the more packed tourist attractions of the region.

These are just two of the great Italian museums that you have probably never heard of, read our next article for some more unique and fascinating examples that we have chosen and get planning your next trip to Italy!