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"Edda Bresciani" Egyptological Collections

Located just a few steps from Lungarno Pacinotti and Piazza dei Cavalieri, the “Edda Bresciani” Egyptological Collections of the University of Pisa represent a point of reference today for scholars and enthusiasts of ancient Egyptian archaeology and history due to the importance of their artifacts, especially those from the area of ancient Nubia, largely the result of excavations carried out under the patronage of the University of Pisa.

“EDDA BRESCIANI” EGYPTOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS

The collections, named after the illustrious Egyptologist Edda Bresciani, represent a point of reference for scholars and enthusiasts of ancient Egyptian archaeology and history. The artifacts, largely the result of excavations carried out under the patronage of the University of Pisa, are displayed in two rooms on the first floor. The first core of the collections was established in 1962, thanks to a donation by Laura Birga Picozzi, a descendant of the family of Ippolito Rosellini, the founder of Italian Egyptology, who with Jean-François Champollion in 1828-1829 led the Franco-Tuscan expedition to Egypt and Nubia, which was fundamental for the study of ancient Egypt. In 1964, the Schiff Giorgini Collection was added, consisting of about four hundred objects, some of exceptional value, from excavations conducted in Sudan by Michela Schiff Giorgini under the patronage of the University of Pisa. In 1968, the collection of the Oxyrhynchus Ostraka was acquired, fifteen hundred fragments of terracotta pottery used in ancient times as a writing medium, inscribed with Demotic texts that illustrate life in a small oasis in Roman Egypt. The Breccia Archive, which contains the archaeologist's writings related to important discoveries, is also part of the Egyptological Collections. The museum designs, implements, and promotes activities dedicated to people with disabilities for the inclusion and enhancement of all audiences.