What is the Service Charter
The Service Charter of the Modena Cathedral Museums is the direct tool of comparison and communication through which the Museum presents itself to the public by describing its mission and identity, the activities it carries out, the services and the quality standards offered in compliance with the needs and expectations of its users, whose satisfaction is of the utmost importance to the museum. The Charter is drawn up on the basis of the Statute and is founded on the principles of Transparency, Equality, Impartiality, Continuity, Participation, Effectiveness and Efficiency.
1. PRESENTATION OF THE MUSEUM
About us
The Cathedral Museums, located within the UNESCO site of Modena, complete the visit to the Cathedral, allowing visitors to more fully understand its history and events. They are made up of three sections: the Lapidarium, which preserves the stone material and important sculptures from the Cathedral and previous buildings, as well as reused fragments from the late Roman era; the Museum Treasure which, thanks to precious artifacts dating back to the Middle Ages until today, bear witness to the vitality of the Church of Modena over the centuries; finally, the visit itinerary created in 2023 on the second floor allows visitors to discover in interactive and engaging ways the main phases of the history of the monumental complex recognized by UNESCO in 1997 and to appreciate those unique characteristics that motivated the inclusion of the Cathedral, the Ghirlandina Tower and Piazza Grande on the List of World Heritage Sites.
The Museums are under the ownership of the Metropolitan Basilica of Modena.
Address: via Lanfranco 4, 41121 Modena
Website: www.museidelduomodimodena.it
Telephone: (+39) 059 216078
Mission
The Cathedral Museums are a permanent, non-profit organization. Their primary purposes are the protection, usability and enhancement of the collections contained therein, as well as the growth of the collections. The Museums represent the natural place of custody of the assets associated with history of the Modena Cathedral and have the task of spreading knowledge, religious and cultural appreciation, and educational and didactic potential, by promoting research and publishing the results.
How to reach the Cathedral Museums
The museums are located next to the Cathedral, in the Limited Traffic Zone.
By car: about a 10-minute walk from the Novi Park and Ex Amcm parking lots
By train: about a 15-minute walk from the train station. From the station it is also possible to take the buses that stop in Corso Duomo or in via Emilia Centro.
2. RECEPTION SERVICES
All visitors may access the museum and enjoy its services while respecting the works and the other visitors. Therefore, according to museum visiting rules, it is forbidden to: consume food or drinks, enter with animals, touch or damage the works on exhibit, disturb other visitors. Taking photographs for private use is permitted; for commercial use and publication, or for audio/video recordings, it is necessary to request specific authorization by downloading the documents from the section “Info and prices” of the website and sending them to info@museidelduomodimodena.it
Hours and ticket office
Tuesday – Friday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm / 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm / 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Monday: closed
The ticket office closes half an hour before the museum closing time. For special openings and closings check the website.
Bookshop and publications
Maps of the city of Modena and free informational brochures are available at the bookshop. Available for purchase are specialized and informative publications concerning the Cathedral in various languages, a museum guide in Italian and English, and a wide array of postcards and souvenirs.
Reservations
For reservations and information about hours and/or tickets:
bookshop@museidelduomodimodena.it
Reservations are required for schools and groups, through the contact channels indicated on the website.
For all information regarding guided tours: (+39) 059 2032660 IAT of Modena.
Families and children
For children’s activities outside of school, see the “Events – Activities for children” section of the website.
3. ACCESSIBILITY
The Museum is equipped with a lift, ramps and restrooms that guarantee access to people with disabilities and reduced mobility. There are also seats on each floor and in the garden.
4. EXHIBITION SPACES AND COLLECTIONS
Layout
The museum is comprised of fourteen rooms on three floors and an outdoor garden. The floors are connected by the lift and stairs. All permanently set-up spaces are open to the public.
Communication in the displays
Each room is equipped with explanatory panels in Italian and English. All of the works are accompanied by captions in Italian and English.
Depository
The assets in storage can be consulted upon request and upon reservation for study and research.
5. SYSTEMS AND SAFETY
The museum complies with safety regulations for structures, people and the works held, and works to overcome, where possible, architectural barriers.
The exhibition rooms are equipped with lighting suited to conservation needs, flexible lighting systems to guarantee energy savings, and adaptation of air conditioning systems functional to conservation needs.
The museum carries out periodic monitoring and maintenance of the equipment necessary for the safety and the use of spaces and rooms (detection and monitoring of microclimatic conditions, monitoring and prevention of attacks by organisms, ordinary maintenance of assets and exhibition structures and of green spaces).
The alarm system is acoustic, the evacuation plan is marked on each floor near the access door, and the exit routes lead to an outdoor space.
Adequate cleaning of the building and the systems is regularly carried out.
6. PROMOTION
The museum communicates its calendar of events through the website, a newsletter, newspapers and printed material (brochures, postcards, posters…).
Temporary exhibitions
The museum periodically organizes temporary exhibitions in keeping with the assets held and participates through the lending of its works to exhibitions at other institutions.
Heritage promotion activities
The activities include temporary exhibitions, conferences, concerts, and workshops for children and adults. The museum regularly participates in festivals and fairs organized in the city of Modena (Festivalfilosofia, Notte dei Musei, Patrimonio Mondiale in Festa).
7. DOCUMENTATION ON ASSETS HELD
All of the works held in the museum are inventoried.
8. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
The museum carries out educational activities for schools at all levels, which can be consulted in the appropriate section of the website; it also periodically offers workshops and activities for children and adults, which are announced on the internet, in the newsletter and through other communication channels.
Volunteering and internships
The museum welcomes, through a selection process, volunteers and interns to support museum operators in some of the activities within the museum, adopting specific agreements with academies and universities.
For information: info@museidelduomodimodena.it
9. AREA RELATIONS
The Cathedral Museums fall within the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Modena and collaborate with the coordination of the Site and the other bodies that are part of it, maintaining their managerial autonomy and their fundamental objectives and values. The Museums pursue and promote forms of collaboration with the other bodies and institutions, maintaining their scientific and managerial autonomy.
10. IMPROVEMENT GOALS
The museum pursues the following goals:
- the creation of permanent itineraries for children
- new permanent and/or accompanied itineraries for people with cognitive and sensory disabilities
- heritage cataloguing
11. COMPLAINTS, PROPOSALS AND SUGGESTIONS
If visitors find that the commitments contained in the Service Charter have not been respected, they may lodge a formal complaint by using the form on the website. The institute undertakes to respond within thirty days.
It is possible to send proposals and formal or informal suggestions aimed at improving the organization and the services provided through the form on the website, or in the notebook at the end of the visit itinerary.
12. COMMUNICATION
The Service Charter is published on the museum’s website.
13. REVISION AND UPDATES
The Charter is periodically updated.
Last update October 2024.