| A. Exhibitions | B. Cataloging, research, study, conservation, exhibition | C. Excavations |
Following the meeting held at the American Embassy in Rome on February 27th, an integrated project was drafted to activate the Cultural Exchange and Exhibitions Agreement signed on January 19th 2001 between the United States and Italy. The project calls for the active cooperation of the most important Italian governmental entities (Soprintendenze) responsible for the conservation, protection and management of Italy’s archaeological heritage.
The Agreement, whose objectives are to strengthen cultural and scientific ties between the two nations, concerns long-term loans of archaeological artifacts and is stipulated into three specialized areas:
The following proposals consist both
of future exhibitions in the planning stages and exhibitions that
are presently organized and ready for travel to the United States.
Roman and pre-Roman artifacts from the Etruscan area (central Italy). Provenance: National Archaeological Museum of Florence.
Scope: c.500 pieces – c.500 square
meters of exhibition space
Exhibition catalogue in English
and Spanish
The exhibit is presently on display
in Edmonton (Canada) until April 2003.
Available from mid 2003.
The same exhibit, dedicated exclusively
to works from the Roman Imperial Era, traveled to Argentina and Chile (1999/2002).
Important ancient gold jewelry by
master goldsmiths from the Etruscan era (750-500 B.C.) to the late Middle
Ages (1300-1400).
The exhibit has traveled to Santiago
de Chile in 2001-2002.
Scope: 280 pieces – c.400 square
meters of exhibition space.
Exhibition catalogue in English
and Spanish.
Immediate availability.
Survey of the Etruscan culture and
art from the Villanovan Era (9th century to 720 B.C.) to the Hellenistic
period (330 to 30 B.C.) through important archaeological finds: bronzes,
jewelry, ceramics.
The exhibit travels with a complementary
educational display.
Scope: 280 pieces – c.400 square
meters of exhibition space.
Exhibition catalogue in English
and Spanish.
The exhibition is currently engaged
in Shanghai until October 2003.
Tentatively scheduled in Beijing
until Spring 2004 and Edinburgh in Autumn 2004.
Available as of 2005.
Extraordinary jewels in gold and amber, bronze armature, Attic black-figured vases (decorated with rare mythological scenes) excavated from ancient burial sites dated from the 8th to the 6th century B.C. Some of the most notable recent findings relate to the different ethnic populations - Greek and indigenous - who dwelled in the region of Basilicata between the 7th and 2nd century B.C.
Scope: c. 763 pieces.
600/800 square meters of exhibition
space.
Exhibition catalog in English.
The exhibit has toured Strasbourg,
Lyon (France), and Montreal (Canada).
Requests presently under consideration
from Austria, Spain, Japan and Australia.
Exhibit available upon request.
Colored glass artifacts from the ancient city of Albingaunum (Albenga) in Northern Italy. The exhibit consists of significant, never before exhibited archeological finds that affirm the great traditional craftsmanship in the region. The exhibit includes a scientific-archaeological analysis and explanatory text regarding the decorative and everyday use of the artifacts (household items, tableware, balsam and unguent containers).
Scope: c. 150 pieces.
c. 400 square meters of exhibition
space.
Immediate availability.
Through its remarkable curatorship and unusual works, this one-of-a-kind exhibition weaves a unique visual account of the dramatic events during the fateful eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. which buried the affluent Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Other than the artworks and archaeological finds, the exhibit includes molds of human beings who were attempting to flee the catastrophe. It tells the stories of men and women, rich and poor, craftsmen and merchants of the Vesuvian area, permitting the viewer to reconstruct a chronicle of their daily routine until the moment of the tragic eruption. The exhibition presents the findings of recent excavations in the area of Pompeii near the area of Moregine; it includes refined Style IV wall paintings which decorated three triclinia (eateries), and a group of Style II paintings recently discovered in the Villa n. 6 of Terzino - an extraordinary painting cycle that recalls the oversize frescoes of the Villa dei Misteri.
Scope: 11 human figure molds, 30
frescoes, 10 sculptures, 500 pieces of precious jewelry, 200 objects for
everyday use, a stunning safe in bronze and iron.
c.2000 square meters of exhibition
space.
Extensive complementary educational
display.
Catalogue in French and English.
The exhibition will be active until
2008.
Scheduled in: Brussels second half
of 2003, Japan 2004, touring Latin America in 2005.
Available as of 2006.
Recent findings dated between the
Archaic Era and the Roman period from archaeological excavations in the
area of Castellamare di Stabiae and its surrounding territory.
The exhibition is divided into three
sections. The first presents the frescoes of the tablinum (reception/dining
room) from Villa di Carmiano and important objects in marble excavated
from the Villa del Pastore in the town of Stabiae.
The second section presents the
pre-Roman funerary items excavated from a necropolis in the area of Madonna
delle Grazie from the 6th to the 4th century B.C.
Scope: c.100 pieces.
200/300 square meters of exhibition
space.
Immediate availability.
In preparation from September 2002
to March 2003, this major thematic exhibition has involved the participation
of 73 museums and archaeological sites throughout Italy. The project, promoted
by the Central Department of Archaeology in Italy (Direzione Generale)
will be repeated in 2003/2004 with a major exhibition on costume design
and fashion. Once in the United States, this singular thematic exhibition
on the world of “Sport” will establish a first example of cultural exchanges
between the two countries that carry a theme of universal appeal by presenting
aspects in the daily life of the peoples that inhabited ancient Italy.
Scope: A choice from among 3000
objects, at least 2000 square meters of exhibition space.
A catalogue in Italian is in progress.
An important exhibition planned for 2004 in celebration of “Genoa –Capital of Culture”. Represented are the most important aspects of the ancient Italic civilization and its people in the Ligures region of northwestern Italy (the exhibition may be combined with the underwater archaeological exhibit being planned in the Aquarium of Genoa for 2004-although it is not organized by the Soprintendenza.)
The exhibition may be introduced
into the American circuit in 2005.
History of the Roman civilization from its origins to the late Empire through significant archaeological finds (frescoes, sculptures, objects of daily use, jewelry, decorative objects) that represent different aspects of daily routines and lifestyles. Among the various settings on show are the home, its furnishing, military life (army and navy) accessories for women (cosmetics, personal hygiene, ornaments, jewelry), games, and funerary objects belonging to the cult of the dead.
Scope: c. 170 pieces
Travels with an ample educational
display.
Exhibition catalogue in English.
The exhibition is on schedule at
the National Museum of China in Beijing from July 1st to August 31st,
Zhenghzou Provincial Museum of Henan in Autumn 2003 to Spring 2004.
Available from mid 2004.
The exhibition presents a general
survey on the history of jewelry representing the remarkable goldsmith
tradition among the ancient Italic cultures as seen in the admirable archaeological
finds conserved in various national treasury deposits in Italy (Soprintendenze).
In preparation - to be scheduled
by the end of 2003, beginning 2004.
Available on request.
Scope: c. 250 pieces, 400 square
meters of exhibition space.
On exhibit are artifacts excavated illegally and fortunately undamaged from the ancient tombs of “Vimini” near Canosa after having been recovered undamaged. Included are funerary items from the tomb of the “Medusa” in Arpi that were stolen and later recovered but damaged by illegal excavations. The exhibition aims at heightening public awareness of the damage caused to the nation’s archaeological heritage by illegal excavations. Besides despoiling the pieces, their historical and scientific context is irreversibly altered.
Scope: c.192 pieces.
c.500 square meters of exhibition
space.
The exhibition will be on show at
the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin from May 23rd to August 3rd 2003.
Available from mid 2004.
Created in response to the goals of the Integrated Project, the exhibition will present major archaeological finds excavated from necropoli dating to the near-eastern periods of influence in the Campania regional plains. The focus of the exhibition will be the prehistory of ancient Italy during a time of significant social and economic transformation.
Scope: c. 150 pieces.
c. 400 square meters of exhibition
space.
Created in response to the goals of the Integrated Project, the exhibition consists of a group of painted vases of Italic production from the 4th century B.C, to be chosen among the classified vase collection not presently on public display of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Scope: c. 50 to 100 pieces.
400 square meters of exhibition
space.
Created in response to the goals of the Integrated Project, this exhibit focuses on the ancient pre-Roman people known as the Japigi, and is aimed at favoring the study and understanding of the works in connection with the post-war acquisition of individual works by American museums. Corollary to the exhibition would be the long-term loan of archaeological items related to the Japigi culture.
Scope to be defined.
Created in response to the goals of the Integrated Project, the exhibition presents historic pieces from tomb excavations that span a wide time frame (in particular from the 1st century B.C.) and includes significant works from Celtic military culture: helmets, shields, armors, fibulae, etc.
Scope to be defined.
Created in response to the goals of the Integrated Project, the exhibition consists of the long term loan of selected works (vases, coins, statuettes, earthenware) excavated from necropoli, sanctuaries and various anciently inhabited sites of Italy. The exhibit features objects formerly sequestered by the Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza and partially on display in the Museum of Calabria.
Scope: c. 200 pieces.
c. 400 square meters of exhibition
space.
The exhibition, organized in different curatorial sections, aims at showing the Greek conquests in specific fields of science. The following sections have been selected:
Scope: c. 200 pieces.
c. 500 square meters of exhibition
space.
The exhibition traces the development
and history of ancient portraiture for both personalized use (canopic vases,
urns, etc.) and for the idealized characterization in cult uses.
Available tentatively from the first
half of 2004.
Scope: c. 200 pieces.
c. 500 square meters of exhibition
space.
This unique exhibition offers a glimpse of Patrician lifestyle in Imperial Rome through the canons of urban planning to the routines of daily life that reflect the use of space in proportion to its setting. The objects, consisting of frescoed walls, mosaic floors (most in their original state), and entirely rebuilt rooms dating to the middle Imperial era (between the 2nd and 3rd century A.D.) belonged to a wealthy domus (house) owned by a noble family. Of particular interest are the large painted panels illustrating a thermal bath with bathers (among which the first image of a woman wearing a “bikini”). The exhibition is completed by a plastic scale model of the entire quarter and a real life reconstruction of a frigidarium (cold water pool).
Scope: c. 500 square meters of
exhibition space.
The exhibition, first shown at Palazzo
Massimo in Rome in 1994 and later in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1996, consists
of an exceptional group of sculptures from the Domitian era (end of 1st
century A.D.). The collection was divided at the beginning of the 20th
century between the National Roman Museum and the Kelsey Museum of Ann
Arbor. Quality resin molds may accompany the original reunited pieces.
The exhibition presents recently discovered important works of art from the Lazio region that have not yet toured in exhibition. Among these are polychrome and black and white mosaics coming from a domus (house) in Cisterna and Palestrina, a statue of Livia, a bust of Augustus, statues of Hercules as a boy and as an adult from the Sanctuary of Hercules in Tivoli. Heads, busts, and other numerous works affirm the ancient history of the region and its surrounding territories.
Scope: c. 150 pieces c. 400 square
meters of exhibition space.
Available from mid 2003.
A conspicuous collection consisting
of about 260,000 objects, whole and in fragments, representing various
classifications of materials spanning from prehistory to the entire Ancient
era. The huge collection, gathered by the musician Evan Gorga in the first
half of the twentieth century and acquired by the Italian government in
1950, consists of earthenware, glassware, vessels and metal objects (above
all bronze), personal ornaments and mirrors, bronze statuettes, armaments,
weapons (up until the late ancient era) lapidary inscriptions and a large
number of frescoes and works in stucco. A large part of the material needs
to be recomposed and restored, especially if considering them for a future
exhibition.
The collection is presently available
and can offer numerous opportunities for conservation studies, research
and thematic exhibitions.
Within the framework of the multiple
research activities recently initiated in southern Etruria, a major objective
has been the study of archaeological finds from past historic sites by
the archaeologists of the Soprintendenza, research institutes and universities
in Italy and abroad. The sites were excavated from 1929 to 1932 in the
sepulchral area of Vulci known as the “osteria”. Although the importance
of the objects (dated between the 8th century B.C. and the Roman era) were
already confirmed, they had not yet been specifically studied or published.
The project regarding these sites may be of special interest to institutes
of higher learning such as the museum of the University of Philadelphia
and the Field Museum of Chicago, both having important collections of works
from tombs excavated in 1895 and 1896 by Francesco Mancinelli Scotti in
the necropoli of the Polledara in Vulci. The project calls for the creation
of a work group made up of American scholars in collaboration with the
archaeologists of the Soprintendenza; once the restoration and classification
of the objects is finished, they may proceed with the cataloging and analytical
study of its funerary context. The archaeological training and hands-on
field experience this project offers recent graduates is invaluable, considering
that upon completion the results will be published, followed by an elaborate
exhibition of these significant tomb furnishings belonging to the complex
funerary cults of ancient civilization.
This project is dedicated to the
study and cataloging of the archaeological finds, presently in storage,
that were excavated from the “Hercules Victorious” Sanctuary in Tivoli.
The project aims at organizing a collaborative effort between American
scholars and the Italian archaeologists of the Soprintendenza, who, after
restoring and classifying the objects, will proceed to their cataloging
and analytical study. The outcome of the project, which could likely be
published, would gain visibility when organized into an exhibition for
the American public.
A research and cataloging project
of the archaeological finds from the Villa d’Orazio in Licenza. The finds,
excavated in cooperation with the American Academy in Rome, could be catalogued
and methodically studied by a working team of American scholars and Italian
archaeologists. This project would significantly contribute to the formation
of American postgraduate students offering valuable hands-on experience
and direct contact with important archaeological concerns. The outcome
of the project, which may be published, would gain visibility if organized
into an exhibition for the American public.
A study and partial conservation
project on archaeological finds coming from the excavations in Oppido Mamertina,
that for the past ten years has been granted in concession to the University
of Boulder, Colorado. The project, consisting of the analytical study of
important archaeological complexes, aims to expand the awareness of problems
related to the preservation of the Italian archaeological heritage in an
American context. The outcome of the project could be presented to the
public through an exhibition, accompanied by a complementary educational
display.
Long term loans may be considered.
Study of the ancient techniques in pottery production and the identification of the workshops that produced them through fingerprint analysis. In 1996, on the archaeological site of Metaponto, an experimental analysis was carried out on fingerprints left by the artisan-potters on the vases excavated from Site n.1 of the kerameikos (Gk:ceramic related) of Metaponto. The analysis, conducted with the help of the Police Department (forensic sector), resulted in the identification of at least four artisans, each with different tasks, employed in the same workshop. The scientific potential of this discipline was thus discovered when applied to the study of ancient ceramics. The project aims at expanding research and study to the whole archaeological region of Basilicata, combining fingerprint analysis with specific archaeological principles in order to compile a data bank of finger prints found on ancient vases, and to encourage cultural and scientific exchanges in a sector that is advancing progressively. The main goals of the project are:
To reach these objectives, it
is important to create a task force of various specializations and disciplines.
The research activities, performed in cooperation with the American authorities,
could foresee the classification of fingerprints found on ancient ceramics,
originating from Basilicata or Magna Grecia, and conserved in American
archaeological museums.
A publication and exhibition, to
be held in American and Italian museums, could present the results of this
innovative project.
Project of cataloging and study of
archaeological materials from inhabited areas that present articulate stratigraphic
layers. This project could be entrusted to American universities
with archaeological disciplines. The goals are numerous; one being a systematic
study of complexes that have not yet been classified and catalogued due
to the very large amount of archaeological material. It is plausible
that long term loans may be granted. The project would also provide American
university students, who are pursuing professions in academics or museum
sciences, with invaluable training in the archaeological and conservation
field in Italy.
This collaborative project is dedicated
to the restoration of archaeological lots, such as the tombs of Ordina,
from the pre-Roman Japigi culture in the Apulia region. Some objects are
already part of museum collections in the United States, as in the Farwell
Museum in Boston.
Study, restoration and exhibition
of funerary “beds” decorated in ivory and bone from the central Adriatic
area, dating between the late Hellenistic to the early Imperial era.
Typical of the tomb furnishings
used for socially prominent citizens, this type of material, produced in
the late Republican and early Imperial period, was common in the Abruzzo
region where one or two ancient workshops have been identified. The bone
plaques that adorned these funerary beds have caught the attention of avid
collectors, causing their dispersion and jeopardizing their comprehension.
Results of recent excavations have permitted the correct classification
of these beds, reuniting them with their original tomb furnishings. At
the same time, conservation and reconstruction of the beds have restored
their highly prominent artistic and historical value. As a consequence,
the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell’Abruzzo proposes to American
colleagues its cooperation for the study and restoration of such artifacts
presently conserved in American museums such as the Richmond Museum and
the Chicago Field Museum. The outcome of this project could be exhibited
both in Italy and in the museums involved, where the “beds” could be presented
together with their associated funerary artifacts.
Seven excavation sites are presently
granted in concession to American universities and academies:
1. University of Tucson, Arizona-Chianciano
Terme (Si) loc. Foce --Surface land reconnaissance. Duration 1 year, first
request.
2. University of Colorado in Denver
– Oppido Mamertina(Calabria.) loc -- Contrada Mella Hellenistic urban colony.
Duration 1 year, renewed.
3. University of North Carolina
in Chapel Hill- Pomarance (Pi) Toscana -- Stratigraphic research. Duration
1 year.
4. American Academy in Rome- Palazzo
Pio, Terme di Pompeo. -- Survey of the underground cellars in Palazzo Pio.
Duration 5 years.
5. Southern Methodist University,
Dallas Texas - Vicchio(Fi) loc. PoggioColla, Montesassi, Podere Bosco --
Etruscan site. Duration 1year, renewed 2003/2006.
6. University of Oxford and
Ohio- Atessa(Ch)-loc. Acquachiara, Colle San Giorgio, Colle Archiano. Duration
1 year, first request.
7. University of Oxford and
Ohio-Tormarecchio(Ch)-loc. Monte Pallano -- the Sanctuary. Duration 1 year,
first request.
Other sites are available for concession by application and formal request by the individual universities. From among these, we suggest the excavations of the Etruscan-Roman sites of Populonia, Roselle and Cosa, previously granted in concession to the American Academy in Rome.
An interesting proposal, besides the three sites mentioned above, has been presented by the Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici di Napoli e Caserta: the creation of an archaeological reserve and museum within the U.S. Navy base, presently under construction at Gricignano di Aversa (Naples), where the recently discovered archaeological finds dating from the Bronze Age to the late Roman Imperial era may be exhibited. The arrangement of the reserve could be enhanced with scale re-constructions of a portion of the unearthed necropolis (dating from the 4th to the 2nd century B.C.) or sections of the landscape. The creation of virtual models could be planned along with an exhibition space and auditorium. The project could be researched and developed with the contribution of scholars together with American institutes of research. The entire project may be subsequently organized into an exhibition of the archaeological materials held in the United States.
Contacts:
Ministero per i Beni e le Attività
Culturali
Direzione Generale per i Beni Archeologici
Servizio Documentazione dei Beni
Via di San Michele, 22
00153 Roma
http://www.archeologia.beniculturali.it
Director
Arch. Antonia P. Recchia
Tel. 0039 06 58434630
Fax. 0039 06 58434751
e.mail: a.recchia@archeologia.beniculturali.it
Responsible for international
relations:
Dott. Rosanna Binacchi
Tel. 0039 06 58434627
Fax.0039 06 5843 4751
e.mail: rbinacchi@beniculturali.it