Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archeology, UK, Oxford Resort
Rating: 9,2/10 (2985 votes)  The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archeology is the oldest publicly accessible museum in the UK and one of four museums operating at the University of Oxford. The building that houses the museum today was built in 1841-1845. in the style of late classicism designed by the architect C. R. Cockerell.
The museum was opened in 1683 in a small building designed by one of Christopher Wren's students specifically to store rare items bequeathed by Elias Ashmoleus to the University. Gathered a collection of rarities, however, not Ashmole, and his friend John Tradescant.
For 150 years, Ashmolean Museum has been the focal point of Oxford University's research in the natural sciences. In the 19th century, his collection was distributed among the four museums of the university. The old building housed the Museum of the History of Science, and the Eshmolovsky Museum was redesigned, since then it has been focused on archeology and art.
Today this museum presents a rich collection of ancient Egyptian art, Renaissance graphics, including works by Raphael, Michelangelo, da Vinci. The museum's art gallery features paintings by Uccello, Rubens, Giorgione, Lorrain, Rembrandt, Renoir, Turner and Picasso. Also in the Eshmolovsky Museum are kept rare items - the violin of the Messiah, Paros marble, antiquities of the Minoan era, a collection of ancient rings, a large diamond of King Alfred the Great. The museum also houses a large collection of ancient coins, weapons and armor from the Middle Ages.
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