The most fascinating finds in this sizable repository of civilizations past are the everyday items from Milan's Roman era -- tools, eating utensils, jewelry, and some exquisite and remarkably well-preserved glassware. The exhibits, which seem to fill every corner of the 16th-century monastery in which the museum is housed, also include Greek, Etruscan, and Roman pieces from throughout Italy; there's even a section devoted to ancient remains from Ghandara, India. You can get a glimpse of Roman architecture in the garden, where two Roman towers and a section of a road, part of the walls enclosing the settlement of Mediolanum, once capital of the Western Roman Empire, remain on their original setting. Rarely in Italy do museums this good (even if the collections are relatively modest in size) come free, so take full advantage.