Culture yards: 57.4 million euros for 16 new projects across Italy

57.4 million euros will be allocated for restoration, adaptation, expansion and enhancement of sixteen new projects throughout the country. “Sixteen interventions,” said Minister Franceschini, “extending from northern to southern Italy and involving state, municipal and private property, including small and large municipalities and UNESCO sites. These are projects and construction sites that contribute to the recovery and creation of important realities of the national cultural heritage and support the country’s development and economic recovery.”

These projects include the creation of museums dedicated to new themes, such as Casa Olivetti in Ivrea, the National Motorcycle Museum in Pesaro and the National Museum of the Art of Digital in Milan, but also the creation of new exhibition venues and expansions to enhance and preserve cultural heritage in its various forms, from the bibliographic heritage of the University of Genoa to the archaeological heritage of the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia and Villa Poniatowski in Rome. And the archival heritage that is at the center of the intervention to create the Diary Archive and the Small Diary Museum in Pieve Santo Stefano. Many property recovery interventions will affect damaged assets located in the heart of the historic centers of Italian municipalities, such as that of the former Convent of San Domenico in Venosa. There is also no shortage of interventions aimed at the safety of visitors, such as that of Villa Jovis on the island of Capri where, in addition to conservation and consolidation works, the entire route will be made safe and accessible. Finally, the identity of places and their history will be the focus of several interventions such as the one dedicated to the expansion and enhancement of the Civic Museum of the Lombards in the small town of Romans d’Isonzo and the redevelopment of the Castle of Charles V in Lecce.

Below are the approved projects

BIBLIOTECA UNIVERSITARIA DI GENOVA - 2.5 million euros will be used to carry out an intervention of restoration and functional adaptation of the historic former headquarters of the Saints Jerome and Francis Xavier Church of the University Library of Genoa, ensuring the indispensable conditions for the protection of the building and the book heritage preserved in it.

MUSEUM COMPLEXOF VILLA GIULIA AND VILLA PONIATOWSKI, ROME - Funding of 7.1 million euros will enable the enhancement of the Villa Giulia Museum Complex, formed by the Renaissance residence of Pope Julius III, the most important state museum of Etruscan and Italic antiquities in the world, and the Villa of the Prince of Poland Stanislaus Poniatowski. The objective of the intervention is aimed at increasing the enjoyment of the entire museum complex through two lines of action: one aimed at the completion of the recovery of some strategic areas for the purpose of enhancing the tourist and cultural offer with multifunctional spaces to be dedicated to recreational activities and temporary exhibitions; the other to the refurbishment of the collections.

SAN BERNARDINO COMPLEX (OLIVETTI HOUSE), IVREA - The 3 million euro grant will help implement a large and articulated project for the redevelopment of the San Bernardino convent complex in the city of Ivrea. The aim is to restore to the Convent the original and authentic spirit of the place that stems from its history as the “home” of the Olivetti family. In the Church of San Bernardino, a museum route will be created for visiting the frescoes, with the possibility of using spaces for meetings and conferences. The Convent, on the other hand, will house the Camillo and Adriano Olivetti Historical Library and the offices of the Olivetti Historical Archives Association.

PALAZZO FARNESE, VITERBO - The Old Hospital of Viterbo includes inside it Palazzo Farnese, dating back to the 12th century, and 17th-century Palazzo Marzano for a total area of 16,000 square meters. With funding of 7.5 million euros, the ancient architectural complex will be completely redeveloped to accommodate: a specialized, innovative and accessible Cultural Center equipped with all necessary safety and technological standards; the State Archives of Viterbo; and the Soprintendenza archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio for the Province of Viterbo and Southern Etruria.

DIARY ARCHIVE AND SMALL DIARY MUSEUM, PIEVE SANTO STEFANO - The town of Pieve Santo Stefano, ’wiped out’ by the destruction of World War II in August 1944, has become the capital of our country’s memory. Funding of 4.1 million euros will lead to the redevelopment of the Nuns’ Complex, with annexed Torrione, and the creation of a unique location for the Diary Archive and the Small Diary Museum. The archive houses and enhances to date more than 9,000 unpublished life stories in the form of diaries, epistolaries, memoirs, and autobiographies.

FORMER CONVENTOF SAN DOMENICO, VENOSA - With an endowment of 4 million euros, the former Convent of San Domenico in Venosa is being entirely redeveloped to house cultural activities, museum exhibitions, laboratories and user services as well as a new headquarters for municipal offices and classrooms for higher education. The intervention will make it possible to complete an overall project of great importance in terms of preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage with positive repercussions on tourism and the local economy, creating a new attractor capable of enriching the tourist and cultural offer of the area.

VILLA JOVIS, CAPRI - Funding of 4.9 million euros allows for restoration, conservation and consolidation works at the archaeological complex of Villa Jovis on Capri. Specifically, the work will involve securing the belvedere and perimeter areas along the cliffs, with accessibility and enjoyment of the visiting routes; rehabilitation of the green areas; and redevelopment of the spaces attached to the Church of S. Maria del Soccorso for the creation of the Museum of the Roman Villas of Capri.

NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM, PESARO - Funding of 2 million euros will enable the functional rehabilitation of the building formerly housing the Palace of Justice in Pesaro for the creation of the National Motorcycle Museum. The building will house the most important and authoritative collections of the Land of Riders and Engines of Italy, starting with the Morbidelli collection and ending with the production of the historic and prestigious Pesaro-based manufacturer Benelli.

CASTELVECCHIO DI STUPINIGI IN NICHELINO, TURIN - The Castelvecchio di Stupinigi is an ancient turreted building, which rises to the side of the Stupinigi hunting lodge, built from the 12th century, owned by the Mauritian Order by Savoy donation since 1573. The €3.5 million funding will enable the securing, restoration, consolidation and restoration of the building’s usability. Returning Castelvecchio to public use will also contribute to the enhancement of the site of the Savoy Residence of Stupinigi.

GALLERIA NAZIONALE E BIBLIOTECA ESTENSE, MODENA - Funding of 4.1 million euros will allow for the recovery, redevelopment and enhancement of the spaces of the former Estense Hospital, thus expanding the permanent exhibition areas, such as the library of the Estense Gallery and the book warehouse of the Estense University Library. The rehabilitation project includes the closure of the inner courtyard, the expansion of the exhibition route of the Estense Gallery in the premises of the former Estense Hospital contiguous with the museum palace, and the annexation of a room suitable for the library collection. The new museum palace is proposed as a major cultural attractor for the city of Modena.

ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK OF CLASSE, RAVENNA - Funding of 2.5 million euros is intended to upgrade, enhance and promote the Classe Archaeological Park in Ravenna. Specifically, the conservation and rehabilitation work involves the Classis Museum and the S. Apollinare in Classe basilica. The completion of two exhibition sections of the museum, entitled ’inhabiting Ravenna’ and ’praying in Ravenna,’ will allow the museum’s exhibition activities to be restarted in a completely renewed setting.

CA’MICHIEL DALLE COLONNE, VENICE - The Palazzo Ca’ Michiel dalle Colonne represents an interesting example of the architectural transformation of the 12th-13th century Venetian casa fondaco, erected along the Grand Canal. The 1.2 million euro intervention will restore it and return it to the city of Venice. The palace is preparing to host a representative office of the MiC and to be a privileged cultural venue in the Ministry’s cultural programming open to local, public and private institutions.

LONGOBARDI CIVIC MUSEUM, ROMANS D’ISONZO - With funding of 950,000 euros, the exhibition spaces of the Civic Archaeological Museum of the Longobard Necropolis in Romans d’Isonzo will be expanded, with the integration of a new museum space and an increase in the area of the current exhibition venue. The new spaces will allow for the display and enhancement of valuable Lombard grave goods and enrich the museum offerings.

CASTELLO CARLO V, LECCE - Funding of 1 million euros will allow the restoration, redevelopment and enhancement of the Charles V Castle in Lecce, giving back to the population a public space to be used for cultural activities, with a twofold positive impact both in terms of redevelopment of the area and expansion of the cultural and tourist offer.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DIGITAL ART, MILAN - With funding of 6 million euros, the Albergo Diurno, the work of architect Piero Portaluppi, will be restored and used as the headquarters of the National Museum of Digital Art. Restoration of the building in Milan’s Piazza Oberdan, redevelopment compatible with the building’s protective conditions will make it possible to create the exhibition spaces of the new institution dedicated to digital culture and artistic languages.

MUSEUM OF PALAZZO VENEZIA AND VITTORIANO, ROME - With 3 million euros, work will be carried out to restore the structures and upgrade the facilities of the Vittoriano Wing (formerly Brasini) located along Via dei Fori Imperiali, returning to the city of Rome an exhibition space in line with international standards. The goal of the project is to re-establish adequate safety and security conditions, to recover a correct reading of the work of architect Armando Brasini, and to reintegrate these spaces into the Vittoriano’s stable visitor route, thus ensuring the entire Monument an organic fruition.

Pictured, Villa Jovis. Ph.Credit Polo Museale Campania

Culture yards: 57.4 million euros for 16 new projects across Italy

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