Geological and Archaeological Science Museum on the island of Pianosa

The Geological and Archaeological Museum of Pianosa is located in some rooms of the former Prison Directorate of the island. The exhibit reveals the history of Pianosa starting with the oldest rocks dating back about 19 million years, through the deposits from the last glacial period, and traces the presence of humans from the Upper Paleolithic, through the Roman era, and into the Middle Ages.

The first room is called “Do Not Touch”. It displays types of minerals typical of Pianosa that visitors can interact with. The second room is dedicated to the geology of the island, its paleogeographical evolution, and paleo-environmental reconstructions evidenced on the island by the presence of deer skeletons. The chronological order is maintained in the archaeological section, which starts with the prehistoric contexts and even features a reconstruction of a domestic oven dating back to the early Neolithic.

 The next section, dedicated to the Roman period, contains both artifacts recovered on the island, particularly from the Villa of Agrippa and Villa San Giovanni, as well as items from shipwrecks, such as amphorae placed on sand to recreate their discovery context. The exhibit concludes with the reconstruction of a Roman burial with the "Obolus of Charon", a coin placed with the deceased for the ferryman of souls in the underworld, found during the excavation, along with a medieval burial, as San Giovanni was partially repurposed as a cemetery until the 18th century. The Catacombs from the 4th to 6th century, another major attraction of the island, did not yield artifacts for display but are represented in a panel.

The museum consists of, in addition to four exhibition rooms, five other spaces dedicated to educational, informative, or recreational activities: a laboratory, a library/reading room, a microscope room, and a conference room with 40 seats.