The Medagliere Revealed: 'Easter in Nummis' at Bologna Civic

The Medagliere Revealed: "Easter in Nummis"

Location: Museo Civico Archeologico, Via dell’Archiginnasio 2, Bologna
Dates: 25 March – 6 July 2026 (exhibition freely accessible in the museum atrium). Book presentation and inauguration: Saturday 28 March 2026, 17:00.

About the exhibition

Curated by Paola Giovetti and Laura Marchesini, "Easter in Nummis" is a thematic installment of the "Il Medagliere si rivela" series. The display gathers around twenty coins and medals that depict episodes of Christ’s life tied to the Easter liturgy: Passion scenes, the Washing of the Feet, and images belonging to the Arma Christi tradition.

Why visit

• Explore the museum’s extensive numismatic holdings—over 100,000 items—including a major group of medals from the mid-15th century to the present.
• Learn how religious imagery was used to convey devotional, political and cultural messages on small metal surfaces.
• See noteworthy pieces such as medallic works by Giovanni Bernardi, which translate well-known Renaissance compositions into medal form.

Highlights on display

The selection includes papal medals, Renaissance coinage, and devotional objects for pilgrims and the faithful: wearable medals with suspension loops, pierced pieces for sewing onto garments, modestly produced devotional medals, and rarer high-quality issues. Some coins reference specific historical moments or papal biographies, while others adapt famous artistic models to the small scale of a metal disc.

Related publication

The exhibition coincides with the release of the book "Il Medagliere si rivela" (edited by Paola Giovetti and Laura Marchesini), documenting six thematic paths of the project and featuring entries for 125 coins and medals. The 100-page catalogue is sold at the museum bookshop (€15).

Practical information

• Admission: the display is freely accessible in the museum atrium.
• Opening hours & visits: check the Museo Civico Archeologico official channels for updated opening times and guided tours.
• Book presentation: Saturday 28 March 2026, 17:00, Sala Confe (museum-hosted event).

This exhibition is an accessible introduction to how numismatic objects have recorded and transmitted Easter imagery and its religious, political and artistic meanings across centuries.