The 10 most important reopenings of 2021

Museums that have reopened in 2021 after many years of closure, lengthy renovations that have finally come to an end, places of culture that are finally welcoming the public again. We are not simply talking about museums that have reopened after Covid closures, but institutes and places that could not be visited for years. So here are ten of the most important reopenings of 2021.

1. March. Rome, the Mausoleum of Augustus.

On March 1, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the largest circular tomb in the ancient world and a symbol of the architectural magnificence of Romanity, reopened to the public, becoming accessible to all again. The Mausoleum has been closed since 2007 for archaeological investigations prior to the implementation of the major recovery and restoration project carried out by Roma Capitale. Read the full story here.

2. April. Berlin, the Neue Nationalgalerie.

Closed since 2014, after several years of construction, Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie, the iconic building designed by the great architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and inaugurated in 1968 (the design dates back to 1962, however), has reopened to the public. The building was renovated behind plans by architect David Chipperfield, who faithfully adhered to Mies van der Rohe’s building values without altering its aesthetics. Read the full story here.

3. June. Berlin, the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche.

After eight years, the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, a deconsecrated church in Berlin’s Mitte district placed under monumental protection because it is the first neo-Gothic church built in the German capital, has reopened to the public. A new permanent exhibition has been set up inside, which visitors will finally be able to admire. Read the full story here.

The

4. July. Pistoia, the Gatteschi Theater.

Pistoia rediscovered one of its jewels this year, the 18th-century Teatrino Gatteschi, one of the world’s smallest theaters. The Gatteschi reopened to the public after a long shutdown on July 1, 2021, once again becoming a venue for performances, when in recent times it had been closed, open only to sporadic private visits. Read the full story here.

5. July. Gibellina, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

On July 21, 2021, after six years of closure, the Gibellina Museum of Contemporary Art reopened to the public: in fact, the rearrangement of the institution that houses about two thousand works by artists, sculptors and photographers who, in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck the Belice region between January 14 and 15, 1968, participated in the rebirth of this area of Sicily under the sign of art, thanks to the involvement and driving role of Mayor Ludovico Corrao, elected in 1969 and after whom the museum is named. Read the full story here.

.

6. August. Nuoro, the National Archaeological Museum.

On Friday, August 13, the “Giorgio Asproni” National Archaeological Museum in Nuoro reopened after three years of closure for renovation and security work. The museum reopened its doors with a more modern and functional look in an exhibition space that spans two floors. Underlying the new layout is the idea of telling the history of the area through a linear and immediate route, with a significant selection of exhibits on display. Read the full story here.

7. September. Noto, the Civic Archaeological Museum.

The Noto Archaeological Civic Museum reopened to the public after thirty-five years on September 27. Set up in the lower levels of the Monumental Complex of the Santissimo Salvatore - Former Benedictine Monastery, the museum has ten exhibition rooms with hundreds of artifacts ranging from the Prehistoric to the Medieval Age. The opening was held in the presence of Syracuse Superintendent Salvatore Martinez and the director of the Archaeological Park of Syracuse, Eloro, Villa del Tellaro and Akrai Carlo Staffile. Read the full story here.

8. November. London, Courtauld Gallery.

After three years of closure, London’s Courtauld Gallery has reopened its doors to the public.Closed since 2018, the gallery in Somerset House has been open again since November 19, 2021 following the most significant modernization project in its history. Indeed, the home of one of the UK’s largest art collections has been completely transformed and elegantly restored. Read the full story here.

9. November. Collepardo, Certosa di Trisulti.

After handing back the keys to the state and ousting the American ultra-right from its premises, the Certosa di Trisulti, the important 13th-century monastery in Collepardo (Frosinone, Italy) has finally returned to open its doors to the public. The Carthusian Monastery had been granted a concession in 2017 to the Dignitatis Humanae Institute (DHI) foundation, the ultra-right-wing school close to Steve Bannon, but on March 15, 2021, the Council of State ruled in favor of the Ministry of Culture that DHI did not qualify for the concession, after a two-year legal battle. So, as of Tuesday, November 9, 2021, the public is back at the Charterhouse, which has returned to the full management of the Lazio Regional Museums Directorate. Read the full story here.

Charterhouse of

10. December. Florence, the Terrace of Maps at the Uffizi.

The Terrazzo delle Carte Geografiche, an important 16th-century room at the Uffizi, has reopened after two years of restoration and new layout to the public. It is a frescoed loggia, overlooking Florence from the church of Santa Croce to Piazzale Michelangelo via the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, which features two wall maps from the late 16th century on the walls, each occupying an entire wall, with the names of the localities penned in gold. The maps depict one the Florentine territory (called the “ancient” domain) and the other the Sienese territory (called the “new” domain, because it was obtained a few years earlier). A third wall also depicts the island of Elba in the Tyrrhenian Sea: in this case, it is a painting that dates back to the mid-19th century, since the original version, sixteenth-century like the others, had been lost during an operation to remake the entire wall. Read the full story here.

.

The 10 most important reopenings of 2021

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.