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In 1998 the Antiquarium Longobardo museum was set inside the prestigious building called Library of the Monselice Castle. The museum houses a small longobard necropolis coming from the Longobards’ settlement on the Rocca hill of Monselice, where stands the Mastio Federiciano too.
The Longobards, a Germanic people originally from Scandinavia, conquered Monselice in 602 and seized the ancient Byzantine Fortifications under their king Agilulf, as it is written in Paul the Deacon’s “Historia Longobardorum” (History of the Lombards): “… Langobardi castrum Montis Silicis invaserunt…” (The Longobards invaded the stronghold of Monselice).
The five tombs, the seven warriors and children bodies with related funeral ornaments form the necropolis, dated back to the first half of the 7th century.
The rich funeral ornaments are represented by a spatha (long sword), a scamasax (dagger), some small knives, an umbo (central boss on a shield) and personal objects as bone combs, silver and metal buckles, belt hanging parts. Anyhow the most interesting archaeological find is certainly a small golden cross decorated with animal interwoven patterns.
The Antiquarium Longobardo is an interesting educational museum that is worth a visit along with the Mastio Federiciano on the top of the Rocca hill.