Rome lovers and arts afficionados rejoice! In an effort to restore and showcase ancient artifacts stored in the warehouses of numerous Italian museums, the Italian Ministry of Culture, the non-profit association LoveItaly and the Lazio Hotel Federation have launched a new initiative entitled Art Out of the Museum (Arte Fuori del Museo). The National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano) and Bettoja Hotels, a family-run enterprise, are collaborating on the first pilot program at Bettoja’s flagship property Hotel Mediterraneo located in Rome’s historic center.
Rome, Italy at the historic Roman Forum ruins at dusk.
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According to Gennaro Sangiuliano, the former Italian Minister of Culture, 90 percent of Italy’s artistic heritage is held in storage at state museums, simply because of space constraints, or because the objects need to be restored before they can be shown and the museums lack the funding to complete the work.
Art Out of the Museum seeks to connect artwork in need of restoration with sponsorship by local hotels so travelers can admire antique works of art exhibited at key properties. This program stems from a collective national effort but was first launched within the Lazio region around Rome. The goal is for culture and tourism meaning the private and the public sectors to come together. Ten more hotels and ten other regional museums have been identified and will be paired before the initiative will be developed on a national level.
Stunning view of Civita di Bagnoregio, ghost mediaeval town built above a plateau of friable vulcanic tuff, Lazio, central Italy
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Tracy Roberts, Vice-President of LoveItaly, a non-profit association based in Rome and California, works to sustain the Italian cultural heritage, pairing donors at various levels with restoration projects within Italy.
“My dream,” she said, “is to expand our reach in Italy to train stations and even airports, and later on perhaps to hotels in the United States.
At Hotel Mediterraneo on via Cavour, travelers can now admire a second-century AD marble statue of Roma (the deity who was believed to personify the city of Rome) set in a protective glass case in the lobby. The restoration, insurance, transport and display costs for the statue were underwritten by the Bettoja family. After a year, a new artifact will be displayed in the hotel and the statue will find its place at the National Roman Museum.
The second-century AD marble statue of Roma in the lobby of Rome’s Mediterraneo Hotel
Courtesy of Virginia Bettoja
“We chose to launch the program with this particular sculpture,” said Stéphane Verger, Director of the National Roman Museum, “because it needed to be restored but not completely rebuilt. We felt that it was fitting to start this initiative in this city with a statue representing the Rome deity.”
The National Roman Museum, founded in 1889, comprises the Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, the Baths of Diocletian and the Crypt of Balbus.