Italy is known as one of the countries that have been most seriously threatened by COVID-19. This is apparently among the main reasons why it is currently trying to return back to normal as soon as possible, notwithstanding the fact that the pandemic is not over yet. In particular, Italians are focused on the recovery of the cultural sector, which is especially topical with a consideration of the recent findings.
Several days ago, it became possible again to visit theaters, cinemas, and museums in most regions of the country. According to the Minister of Culture, art will contribute substantially to the overall mood of the population. Although observing a performance or doing an exhibition still presupposes booking tickets in advance and a limited access, there will be a chance for something new. Thus, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence offers fourteen new rooms with 129 works the guests have not seen before. By means of innovations, the Minister expects to attract both old and new visitors so that the entire sector can solve the crisis sooner.
Another museum, Turin’s Castello di Rivoli, has joined the Europe-wide campaign, within which cultural institutions also host vaccination centers. While being inoculated, the visitors can admire the ornamental pattern on the walls by a Swiss painter named Claudia Comte, along with the soundscape by the composer Egon Elliut. The idea of the two artists lied in designing an environment that would soothe the recipients before and after the vaccination. The director of Castello di Rivoli highlights that art is an essential factor of human well-being. It heals the soul, while the medication heals the body; therefore, a combination of the two is apparently an effective health care strategy.
Several other museums in Italy also participate in the campaign, but even the ones that do not have something to impress their visitors with. Notably, the Capitoline Museums, the main municipal museum in Rome, have finally regained the finger of the colossal statue of Emperor Constantine that had been missing for around five thousand years. It was found in Paris’s Louvre Museum and reattached to the giant bronze hand, which event was actually coincident with the 550th anniversary of the Capitoline Museums. In addition to the hand, the exposition includes the head and the globe the hand used to hold, as no other fragments of the statue have ever been discovered.
The finger is not the only recent finding to attract those who are interested in culture as well as in history. From the Guattari Cave situated on the coast between Rome and Naples, the remains of nine Neanderthals were excavated. The Culture Minister proclaims that, together with the two previously found individuals, they make the cave one of the biggest early man sites in the world. This fact can make the investigators re-imagine the peopling of Italy and the development of society in it since the Neanderthals are known as the first completely biosocial species.
To summarize, Italy is apparently recovering from the pandemic-related crisis, due to which the primary focus is currently on cultural life. The sector-specific institutions, including museums, finally opened their doors and are planning to attract visitors with a wide variety of new artifacts. In addition, one of the museums is now combined with a vaccination center, which allows for improving physical and mental well-being of the population in parallel.