After demanding and painstaking restoration work financed by the Ministry of Culture, the Balzi Rossi Prehistoric Museum in Ventimiglia unveils its new face. In fact, Saturday, November 11 saw the inauguration of Percorso storia dell’Uomo, the new layout of the museum space of the Museum, custodian of an archaeological heritage of inestimable value.
The renovated exhibition itinerary, which marks the return to the original size of the museum desired by Sir Thomas Hanbury through the elimination of the concrete elevation, now has a new look, enriched by new sections dedicated to Paleolithic art and the history of man, with a special focus on the research carried out at the Prince’s Cave. Among the most interesting new features is the installation of a multimedia station (made possible thanks to a memorandum of understanding with the University of Genoa-Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering) that will give visitors the realistic feeling of a journey through time and the different climatic phases that followed one another in the area.
The project, coordinated by the Regional Museums Directorate of Liguria, involved the interior spaces and the surrounding archaeological area in a total renovation also from an energy point of view. In fact, 42 green-colored photovoltaic panels have been installed on the roof of the new museum, which are perfectly integrated into the landscape and will meet the electricity needs by producing about 15 kW. A new “fan coil” air conditioning system will ensure better control of the museum’s internal temperature and fluctuations, which is essential for the preservation of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic skeletal remains on display.
The work also involved the exterior roofing, clad in white and pink Finale Stone, through the removal of the existing corrugations and the resurfacing of the various finishing layers.
“We are particularly proud of the result, which is the result of a team effort that combines the most diverse components of historical, scientific and technological research,” commented Alessandra Guerrini Regional Director Museums Liguria. “On the one hand, in fact, we now have a new layout of the original core of the museum wanted by Sir Thomas Hanbury, in which the building has also been completely renovated, and on the other hand, we have equipped the roof of the new part with a photovoltaic system that brings us not only toward energy autonomy with the use of natural sources but will also allow us to control the indoor climate and thus better preserve our heritage.”
“As part of this funding provided by the MiC in different tranches and measures,” added the director of the “Balzi Rossi” Prehistoric Museum and Archaeological Area, Antonella Traverso, “ the original volume of the museum built at the behest of Sir Thomas Hanbury has been restored, setting up inside it a section dedicated to human evolution and the artistic manifestations of man sapiens. A virtual reality station will allow visitors to take a trip to the Red Leaps during the glacial phase that occurred in the Upper Paleolithic, when the area was populated by cold climate animals such as the reindeer.”
![]() |
Ventimiglia, the Balzi Rossi Prehistoric Museum inaugurates its new exhibit. |
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.