Curated by Alfonsina Russo, Stefano Lanna, Alessio De Cristofaro, Federica Rinaldi and Gabriele Simongini
The exhibition returns to the public an ongoing reconstruction process, in which cultural heritage, communities and memory intertwine and project towards the future. Not a simple narrative of the seismic event, but a space for reflection on the transformations under way and the prospects for rebirth, in which the languages of oral history, anthropology and contemporary art compose a choral, bottom-up account inspired by the principles of the Faro Convention, in which the protagonists are the heritage communities of the Crater .
The project is carried out by the Department for the Enhancement of Cultural Heritage (DiVa), the Olivetti Plan for Culture, the Central Institute for the Economic Enhancement and Promotion of Cultural Heritage (IC-VEPP) and the National Roman Museum in collaboration with the Commissioner's Structure Sisma 2016 of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers .
Admission to the exhibition and to the Baths of Diocletian venue is free for all residents of the municipalities of the Crater. Check the list of municipalities at this link .
The exhibition traces ten years of interventions, recoveries and transformations in the territories affected by the seismic sequence that began on 24 August 2016 , when at 3:36 a violent tremor marked the beginning of one of the most dramatic pages of recent Italian history. An event that affected 138 municipalities in Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Umbria , involving a territory inhabited by about 540 thousand people.
The exhibition arises from the desire to tell not only what the earthquake destroyed, but above all what has been saved, rebuilt and returned to the communities. Because the reconstruction of a territory does not end with the recovery of buildings and infrastructure, but includes the safeguarding of collective memory, traditions, places of worship and the works of art that represent the identity of the populations.
The exhibition route places at its centre the tangible and intangible heritage of the central Apennines , through works of art, audiovisual testimonies, documents, everyday objects and works by contemporary artists. A narrative articulated in six sections, from the lands and communities to the rupture caused by the earthquake, from the reactions of the populations to the recovery of memory and heritage, up to reconstruction and the artistic expressions of the communities. A journey that conveys the complexity of a territory in which culture has represented, from the very first moments of the emergency, a fundamental tool of cohesion and social reconstruction.
The assessment of damage to cultural heritage conveys the scale of the challenge faced over these ten years: over 20 thousand movable assets damaged, 4,500 linear metres of archives and more than 10 thousand volumes involved. Since 2017, 504 interventions have been authorised, of which 405, over 80%, concern places of worship. A work that involved Superintendencies, museums, restorers and cultural institutions, making it possible to secure, restore and return to the communities assets of extraordinary historical and identity value. A contribution to recovery also came from the Art Bonus for the earthquake, through which 33 fundraising campaigns have been launched since 2017 for a total value of 4.16 million euros, thanks to the combination of ministerial resources and private donations.
Among the symbolic works on display, the Madonna della Misericordia of Camerino , a wooden sculpture from the mid-15th century recovered on 10 April 2017, the reliquary of the Filetta of Amatrice , made by Pietro Vannini in 1472 and linked to the story of the discovery of an ancient cameo depicting Diana the Huntress, the Madonna dressed of Campi Alto in Norcia , from the late 18th century, and the votive statuettes of kourotrophos , female figures linked to motherhood and the protection of children, from the National Museum of Abruzzo. Works that bear witness to the artistic value of the recovered heritage and the deep bond between cultural assets and their communities of belonging.
Alongside the restored works, the exhibition offers a journey through twentieth-century and contemporary art by means of 24 artists linked to the territories of the four affected regions , whose works engage with the themes of rupture, memory and recomposition. Among these, for Abruzzo, "Forma Archetipa 91" (2010) by Marcello Mariani , made using powders and fragments of the rubble of L'Aquila after the 2009 earthquake, transforms the matter of destruction into an artistic gesture of reconstruction. For Lazio, "Reliquie nere" (1958) by Vasco Bendini evokes the opening of a crater and an abyss that is not only telluric but also psychological. In the Marche, "Amalassunta" (1955) by Osvaldo Licini conveys, through the poetry of the image, a possibility of comfort and rebirth: the same artist, after the 1943 earthquake, had covered with mural painting the cracks caused by the tremor in his own home in Monte Vidon Corrado. For Umbria, "Nero Bianco Nero" (1955) by Alberto Burri evokes, through gashes, stitching and tormented surfaces, the image of a wounded land, in which pain takes form directly in the material.
The works of these artists, together with those of Piero Dorazio, Ettore Spalletti, Giuseppe Uncini, Leoncillo and the other protagonists of the route, do not simply illustrate the earthquake, but propose a reflection on fragility, on transformation and on art's capacity to give form to memory. The route is also enriched by works from students of the Fine Arts Academies of L'Aquila, Macerata and Perugia and of the Liceo Artistico of Rieti, engaged in a dialogue between generations and artistic languages.
Particular attention is devoted to intangible heritage , to people's stories and to the memory of communities. Through a demo-ethno-anthropological research conducted by the Central Institute for Intangible Heritage in Amatrice, Camerino, Norcia and Campotosto, interviews, testimonies, images, soundscapes and life stories have been collected. A work that makes it possible to document not only the consequences of the earthquake, but also the capacity of the populations to safeguard and pass on their identity.
In Amatrice , seven short documentaries tell, through the voices of residents, the gestures, knowledge and daily life of the post-earthquake period. In Camerino , six audio stations, photographs and a video installation explore new forms of living and the relationship between individual and collective memory. In Campotosto , an immersive room conveys the sounds of nature, shepherding, craftsmanship and the reconstruction sites, together with the traditions of the improvising poets. In Norcia , a multimedia map tells of the initiatives for togetherness and the grassroots projects created to support the life of the communities, enhance the natural and cultural heritage and create new opportunities for development.
Alongside this is the "archaeology of memory" project coordinated by IC-VEPP, which directly involved communities in identifying and enhancing everyday objects, memories and personal testimonies. From Nonna Emma's box of threads and needles to Gecco's camera, small objects become tools for reconstructing individual and collective stories, giving voice to a memory that would otherwise risk being lost.
Come and discover it at the Baths of Diocletian, from 11 November 2026 to 31 January 2027 during the Museum's opening hours!
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