 The
starting point for the history of the Museum is due to the activity of two
very different persons: canon Giandomenico Bertoli (1676-1763) and Lepoldo
Zuccolo (1761-1833), a painter from Udine. Bertoli collected finds that
are still the core of the exhibition; his aim of popularization - according
to his time's spirit - is reflected in his work "Le antichità di Aquileia",
 puglished
in Venice in 1739. The seat of his exhibition was his own house, in via
Patriarch Popo, and included a remarkable epigraphic collection; after his
death and a series of vicissitudes it was bought by Count Antonio Cassis
Faraone, who placed it in his "Palazzo" in Monastero, North-East of the
centre of Aquileia. Lepoldo Zuccolo is the promoter of the first Public
museum of Aquileia, in the ancient Baptistery and Church of the Pagan (both
contiguous to the Basilica): it was founded in 1807 and called "Eugeniano"
in honour of Eugène de Beauharnais, chief of the Central Government in Milan,
but its political implications made it soon be closed in occasion of the
Austrian restoration. A new project started with a city Museum opened by
Carl von Czoernig in 1858, in 1879 a Government Board was established, until
the Caesareum Museum Aquilejense was founded in 1882. Already from 1875,
Enrico Majonica - who studied at Vienna University - had begun to acquire
main private collections and to look for a proper seat, that was chosen
in 1881 - the villa Cassis Faraone. The solemn inauguration took place at
the presence of Archduke Charles Ludwig, on August 3rd 1882; Maionica was
appointed the office of manager. In 1898 began the construction of the galleries
for the stone monuments (Lapidario) Relevant restoration works and rearrangement
of the exhibition were conducted in 1954: to this year dates back the visible
organization of the rooms.
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