Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, Turku, Finland

Aboa Vetus (Old Turku) is a museum of archaeological history. Originally, plans were for only Ars Nova, the contemporary art museum, but during its construction a number of structures and artifacts dating back to the Middle Ages were discovered, and the archaeological excavation that was commissioned eventually transformed into Aboa Vetus. The two museums were combined in 2004.

The ruins excavated in the Convent Quarter originate from the Middle Ages. In the midst of these ruins, museum visitors progress through the permanent exhibition, which focuses on the 15th century. The artefacts on display originate from the excavations carried out in the town quarter where the museum actually sits.

Reference: Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova

User Reviews

Anna-Maria Heino (3 years ago)
A cozy little museum with some ruins of old Turku as well as modern art. Interesting place and even a good cafe. Museum shop is full of interesting, if not a tiny bit over prized stuff that has to do with modern arts and Turku. You should definitely consider visiting.

Emiel Mostert (3 years ago)
Turku is a town you should not miss. Art all over town and some great museums, this is one of them. Just go and enjoy.

Manuel Pereiras Torres (3 years ago)
The historical exhibition (Aboa Vetus) is good, but the Ars Nova now has just one exhibition in the first floor, and the other in the second floor is only pictures and texts about the history of the Palace that the museum was before(and I was expecting some modern art) . Also all the balconies were closed. So maybe is not the best time of the year to visit the museum

Bianca W (3 years ago)
This place is two museums in one! Downstairs, there are medieval ruins and exhibits on historic Finland, and upstairs you'll find a modern art gallery, and a river runs right through the building, which makes for an amazing café in between the two museum areas! The medieval ruins were re-discovered during excavations in 1995 and include a church and residential buildings with lots of information about the time period. Upstairs in the contemporary art gallery, exhibitions and installations are constantly changing. This one's well worth a visit!

Kai Kimppa (3 years ago)
The permanent exhibition changes from the museum’s own wide variety of art with the changing exhibitions, thus making both sides always worth seeing. The restaurant has one of the best lunches in the city, and if you take the full lunch, including a very filling salad table and Mbakery’s always interesting cakes you won’t leave hungry even if you came in so.

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The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc is a Baroque monument built in 1716–1754 in honour of God. The main purpose was a spectacular celebration of Catholic Church and faith, partly caused by feeling of gratitude for ending a plague, which struck Moravia between 1713 and 1715. The column was also understood to be an expression of local patriotism, since all artists and master craftsmen working on this monument were Olomouc citizens, and almost all depicted saints were connected with the city of Olomouc in some way. The column is the biggest Baroque sculptural group in the Czech Republic. In 2000 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

The column is dominated by gilded copper sculptures of the Holy Trinity accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel on the top and the Assumption of the Virgin beneath it.

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