Museum of Dacic and Roman Civilisation in Deva

The museum's headquarters is housed in the Magna Curia Palace, also known as Bethlen Castle, the oldest preserved historical monument in Deva. The site's history begins in 1582 when Governor Francisc Geszty built a house at the foot of the Deva Citadel. The structure was significantly expanded and transformed into the Magna Curia in 1621 by Gabriel Bethlen, the Prince of Transylvania, who used Deva as a capital for a brief period. In the first half of the 18th century, the building underwent major renovations to acquire its current Baroque appearance, characterized by the addition of a monumental staircase and a polylabed balcony. The palace is located at the foot of the citadel hill, adjacent to a small park.

The museum possesses one of the most important archaeological collections in Transylvania, encompassing artifacts from prehistoric, Dacian, Roman, pre-medieval, and early medieval periods. The collections include extensive finds from the numerous sites in and around the Orăștie Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Beyond archaeology, the museum holds significant numismatic collections, ethnographic items such as traditional costumes, tools, Botiza ceramics, and glass icons, as well as natural science exhibits covering botany, paleontology, malacology, entomology, and mineralogy. The institution also maintains a library of approximately 40,000 volumes. Specific permanent exhibitions include the 'Lapidarium' and displays of Dacian life in the Orăștie Mountains.

The museum operates through several specialized sections and branches located across Deva and the wider county. The History Section and Numismatics Section are housed within the Magna Curia Palace. The Art Gallery is located in the right wing of the Prefecture Palace, opposite the park on the corner of Str. 1 Decembrie and Str. Avram Iancu. The Natural History Section is situated in the main annex of the Bethlen Castle. The institution also manages other cultural sites, including the Archaeological Section in Sarmizegetusa, the Aurel Vlaicu Memorial Complex, the Ethnography and Folk Art Museum in Orăștie, the Local History and Ethnography Museum in Brad, and the Nopcsa Castle.

The Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation is a cornerstone of cultural heritage preservation in Hunedoara County and Transylvania. Its establishment in 1882 marked a critical effort to systematically document and protect the region's archaeological wealth, particularly the Dacian fortresses and Roman settlements. By housing artifacts from the Orăștie Mountains, the museum plays a vital role in interpreting the history of the Dacian civilization and its interaction with the Roman Empire. The museum's location in the historic Magna Curia Palace, a monument of national importance, further enhances its status as a center for historical research and public education. It continues to serve as a repository for thousands of unique objects and a hub for archaeological research and restoration projects.