A new museum in Rome: Museo dell’Arte Salvata

Throughout history, an overwhelming amount of masterpieces has been looted and taken away from Italy only to reappear in foreign countries.

In ancient times, this used to happen as an aftermath of wars, and treaties and discussion is ongoing today whether these artworks should be given back to the nations they were taken from.

More recently, though, said lootings have been caused by literal tomb raiders, and not the movie/videogame type!

In those instances, it’s easier to follow traces proving that exports of this kind are done illegally, so much so that Italy has a dedicated police division to investigate and seize stolen statues, paintings, mosaics and more: the Reparto Operativo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale dell’Arma dei Carabinieri.

Two reasons to rejoice

It’s thanks to them Rome can celebrate the opening of a new museum, and in a building that had been closed for a number of years, too: the Aula Ottagona, part of the Baths of Diocletian complex, minutes from the train station at Roma Termini and just off the subway station at Repubblica.

The Museo dell’Arte Salvata (“Museum for Rescued Art”) will be part of the existing network of the Museo Nazionale Romano (“National Roman Museum”), which means tourists and locals will be able to visit it on its own or through the very generous combined ticket that gives access to all five (!) branches of the institution.

A concept like no other

Visitors to this unique hall will enjoy roughly 100 pieces of art returned to Italy or seized to smugglers. However, 100 seems like such a small number, doesn’t it? This is because, in this place, items will be displayed to the public for a limited period of time, to be returned to the areas of Italy where they were stolen from originally. The idea is to have them expand the permanent collections of small museums that have been otherwise depleted by art trafficking.

The first time this policy was implemented was in 2014, when world-famous Euphronios Krater (which you can read a little bit about here) was returned to the small town of Cerveteri, which we recommended as a daytrip destination about in this post.

The current batch of returned artworks will be on display until October 15, 2022. After that date, a new series of objects will follow.

The Museo dell’Arte Salvata can be visited on Via Giuseppe Romita, 8, from Tuesdays to Sundays from 11AM to 6PM.