The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is the oldest public museum in the United Kingdom and one of the first in the world: it opened its doors in 1683. Today it is the University of Oxford's museum of art and archaeology, with extraordinary collections ranging from ancient Egypt to contemporary art, by way of Greece, Rome, the Italian Renaissance and the East. Italian visitors will find some special surprises, such as a perfectly preserved Stradivarius violin and drawings by Michelangelo and Raphael. Entry is free.
History
The core of the museum was the cabinet of curiosities of the royal gardener John Tradescant and his son, who had gathered natural objects and artefacts from all over the world. The collection passed to the collector and scholar Elias Ashmole, who in 1677 gave it to the University of Oxford on condition that a building be constructed to display it to the public. The museum opened in 1683 on Broad Street, in the building that now houses the History of Science Museum. In 1845 it moved to its present neoclassical home designed by Charles Cockerell, and in 2009 a major modern extension doubled the exhibition space.
- 1677Elias Ashmole gives his collection to the University of Oxford
- 1683The Ashmolean opens, the first public museum in the United Kingdom
- 1845The museum moves into Charles Cockerell's neoclassical building
- 1939The Stradivarius violin known as "the Messiah" is given to the museum
- 2009The major modern extension opens
What to see
Antiquities
The archaeology galleries hold one of the finest collections of Egyptian antiquities outside Egypt, with coffins, mummies and the Shrine of Taharqa, as well as finds from ancient Greece, Rome and the Near East. The section on the Minoan civilisation of Crete is fascinating, thanks to the excavations at Knossos by Arthur Evans, who was Keeper of the museum.
The Alfred Jewel
Among the most famous pieces is the Alfred Jewel, a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon jewel of gold and enamel inscribed "Alfred ordered me to be made", probably linked to King Alfred the Great. It is one of the symbols of early medieval England.
Italian and European art
The painting galleries hold masterpieces such as The Hunt in the Forest by Paolo Uccello, a night scene full of riders, dogs and deer, works by Piero di Cosimo, Titian, Tintoretto and Bellini, and an outstanding collection of drawings by Michelangelo and Raphael, shown in rotation to protect them from light. There are also works by Rembrandt, Turner, Pissarro, Picasso and the Pre-Raphaelites.
The "Messiah" violin
In the musical instruments gallery is the "Messiah", a violin made by Antonio Stradivari in Cremona in 1716 and considered one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the world, because it has hardly ever been played. Beside it are other instruments by Stradivari and Amati.
Curiosities
Among the most curious objects are Powhatan's Mantle, a Native American garment decorated with shells, and Guy Fawkes' lantern, the one the conspirator was carrying when he was arrested in the cellars of Parliament in 1605.
Practical information
Entry to the permanent collection is free; some temporary exhibitions are charged. On the roof there is a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the rooftops of Oxford. Up-to-date opening times are on the official website.
Getting there
- By train: from London Paddington or Marylebone to Oxford in about an hour; the museum is a 10-minute walk from the station.
- By coach: coaches from London and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
- In town: the museum is on Beaumont Street, in the centre.
Nearby
- The Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera.
- The university's Pitt Rivers Museum and Museum of Natural History.
- See also Oxford.
Tips
- How long: at least two hours, half a day for enthusiasts.
- When to go: all year round; weekday mornings are quieter.
- A tip: pick up a map at the entrance and choose the galleries that interest you most: the museum has more than forty.