Museo Diocesano e Cripta di San Rufino: What to Know

The museum and crypt are in Assisi’s historic centre, at Piazza San Rufino, 3, immediately beside the Cathedral of San Rufino. The cathedral-area display and the museum’s underground rooms make this a compact stop within the central historic district. The museum is about 1.3 km from Assisi Garden.

The museum is about 160 metres from the Piazza Matteotti stop for bus line C. Only authorized vehicles may enter Assisi’s historic centre, and the nearest paid parking is at Piazza Matteotti. The site has wheelchair-accessible entry.

The cathedral area also has an archaeological display, a permanent exhibition about the city’s early history and the continuity of worship at the site. Its finds from excavations were placed there in 2018.

The Assisi diocesan museum presents archaeological finds, paintings and furnishings connected with the cathedral, confraternity oratories and suppressed parishes, alongside a collection donated by art historian Frederick Mason Perkins.

The exhibition area explores the layered history of buildings in the area, which began in the 2nd century BC. Across two levels, the visit includes underground rooms in the Palazzo dei Canonici as well as the crypt and 11th-century cloister. The museum describes the crypt, cloister and bell tower as surviving spaces of the ancient Basilica Ugoniana.

A crypt room contains liturgical objects, silverwork and paintings attributed to Cesare Sermei. Among its objects is an 18th-century reliquary bust of San Rufino by Paolo Spagna.

The crypt and cathedral sit side by side, bringing the museum visit together with one of Assisi’s central religious sites. The museum’s rooms and cloister preserve parts of the earlier Basilica Ugoniana, while the archaeological display tells the story of activity at the site across different periods.

The museum reopened in its current location with a new display on 15 April 2006, following restoration work in the underground rooms of Palazzo dei Canonici and the cloister. Its present arrangement combines those historic spaces with objects from the cathedral and other local religious settings.

Opening hours and ticket prices differ between published listings, so check the official site before you go. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.

Opening hours

• Monday to Friday: 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–18:00
• Saturday: 10:00–18:00
• Sunday: 11:00–18:00

Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.

Full-price admission is €4 on the museum website and €3.50 on Visit Assisi. Reduced tickets are €3 and €2, with free admission for eligible visitors.

Reduced categories include some age groups, students with proof and groups; free admission includes children under 7 accompanied by an adult, disabled visitors and residents of the Municipality of Assisi, among other categories. Confirm the applicable price and eligibility with the museum before visiting.

Groups must book guided visits at least 7 days ahead. Tours are available in Italian, English and French. A guided visit covering the cathedral and underground museum costs €5 per person for groups over 10, or a flat €60 for groups under 10. Facilities include a bookshop and restrooms; there is no refreshment point or cloakroom.

The Cathedral of San Rufino is the natural companion to the museum because it stands beside the entrance area. The site is within walking reach of other central sights, so you can fit the museum into a route through the historic centre. A walking tour between Assisi’s main sights can help you plan those connections.

Leave time to explore the cathedral area and nearby central streets as part of your visit.

If you are arranging several stops into one day, the one-day route through Assisi’s historic centre offers another way to think about the order of sights. Keep the museum’s visiting hours in mind when planning around the cathedral and other central stops.