It was after a decree by the Este Duke Francesco IV that in 1828 the decision was taken to collect together all the Roman remains which had come to light over the centuries, starting from the excavations during the XII Century to obtain materials which could be used in the construction of the Cathedral and the Ghirlandina tower, and collect them together under the loggia of the Palazzo dei Musei. The XII Century diggings concentrated on the area which is now piazza Matteotti, the site of a Roman necropolis, and this is why the Museo Lapidario contains large numbers of tombs and sarcophaguses, often of large size, topped with tiles or shingles.