Archaeology
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum is in the basement of the municipal building, opened in 1990 through a collaboration between the Veneto Archaeological Heritage Authority, the Verona Civic Museum of Natural History, and the Municipality of Cavaion Veronese. Its creation followed the discovery of a settlement from the Early and Middle Bronze Age near the Ca’ Nova moraine lake. The museum displays prehistoric artifacts found in Cavaion and neighboring towns, including ceramics, bronze objects, dagger blades, stone and bone tools, amber pieces, tablets, and loom weights. The collection also includes remains from a Roman era necropolis and settlements discovered in the Cavaion area, as well as medieval artifacts uncovered during the most recent excavation campaign on the summit of Monte San Michele. Recently, the museum celebrated its 25th anniversary, and for the occasion, the exhibition layout was redesigned and renewed.
Managed by the Cavaionese Archaeological Association, the museum is open every Sunday morning from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Additional visits can be arranged by appointment by writing to: info@archeocavaion.it
- Piazza Fracastoro, 8, 37010 Cavaion Veronese VR, Italia
- +39 0457 23 61 27
- ass.archeocavaion@gmail.com
Opening hours
Sunday: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
From July through August: also open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
La Bastia Archaeopark
La Bastia Archaeopark on Monte San Michele (336 meters above sea level), overlooking Cavaion Veronese, opened in May 2014 and is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Lake Garda area. The site preserves the remains of a religious building dating to around the 11th century. Recent excavations uncovered decorated limestone fragments, indicating that the site may date back as far as the 9th century. Over time, the structure was expanded and modified, and it was later incorporated into a military stronghold of strategic importance for the surrounding territory. Archaeological excavations were carried out continuously from 2003 to 2011 by the Veneto Archaeological Heritage Authority as part of a research and heritage enhancement project promoted by the municipality and supported by the Veneto Region. Initial investigations focused on the lower terrace, where the upper remains of the church and adjacent structures were already visible. Subsequent work extended to the upper terrace, which had originally been covered by dense vegetation. From the earliest excavation phases, the masonry underwent consolidation and restoration, work that continued until 2012. In 2012 and 2013, the site was prepared for public access.
The park is managed by the Associazione Archeologica Cavaionese (Cavaionese Archaeological Association), which oversees opening days on selected Sundays during spring and summer. Visits can also be arranged by appointment by writing to: info@archeocavaion.it
- Via 27 Marzo 1945, 37010 Cavaion Veronese VR, Italia
Ca’ Nova Lake
Located at an elevation of about 170 meters at the foot of the town of Cavaion Veronese, Ca’ Nova Lake is of moraine origin, formed by the melting of the Würm glacier along with other inter-moraine ponds that once existed in the Naiano and Pozzoi Bossema area. During the Bronze Age, between 2000 and 1500 BC, a settlement stood along the shores of the lake. Discovered in the late 1980s, the site yielded numerous finds, including ceramic vessels, terracotta objects, bronze daggers, and tools made of flint and bone, now preserved in the Archaeological Museum at the municipal building. The settlement consisted of huts built from logs and marsh vegetation and was inhabited by communities engaged in hunting, livestock raising, small-scale agriculture, and trade with the pile dwelling villages around Lake Garda and inland settlements. Ca’ Nova has long been a distinctive feature of the Cavaion landscape, although in recent years the pond has unfortunately been reduced in size due to various interventions.
Visits, organized by the Cavaionese Archaeological Association, can be arranged by appointment by writing to: info@archeocavaion.it
