Housed in the upper floor of Palazzo di Ludovico il Moro — a beautiful Renaissance building in its own right — the National Archaeological Museum contains the finds from the Greco-Etruscan city of Spina, which flourished in the Po delta between the 6th and 3rd centuries BCE. Spina was a major trading port connecting Greece and the Etruscan world, and the tombs excavated at the site have produced thousands of Greek painted vases and Etruscan bronzes.
The collection is one of the finest of its type anywhere in the world. The red-figure Attic pottery alone would justify a detour — the quality and quantity of the pieces reflects the enormous wealth that flowed through this ancient port. The Renaissance courtyard of the palazzo provides a beautiful setting even before you reach the collection.