The ICCROM Archive has contributed to a fascinating exhibition being presented on three floors of the Archaeological Museum of Mantua, one made up of original images, documents, movies, and testimonials.
This exhibition, entitled "Saving Memory" (Salvare la Memoria), is an initiative of the State Museums of Lombardy, in collaboration with the city of Mantua, the Higher Institute for Conservation and Restoration (ISCR), the Carabinieri Art Squad, the University of Milan, IULM University, the Ducal Palace and Diocese of Mantua, the Monuments Men Foundation, and ICCROM.
The aim of the exhibition is to share powerful and meaningful images of heritage that should a point of pride – yet that is so often damaged by wars such as the one in Syria, as well as from earthquakes, floods and all those sudden events that impose the ravages of time with such ferocity. How can we forget the 1966 Florence flood, and the army of so-called "Mud Angels", those volunteers who heeded the call to safeguard the city’s heritage? Or destruction brought about by humans, which has proven to be just as destructive as damage from natural causes? Then there is the destruction inherited from the wars of the past.
The narrative proposed by the exhibition starts with the wars of the last century, then passes to the episode of the Axum stele, with images of both its transfer to Rome and its return to Ethiopia. Considerable space is devoted to recent conflicts, including the destruction in Afghanistan and Kosovo, with images of the restoration initiatives carried out by the Italian Higher Institute for Conservation and Restoration. The reconstruction of the Mostar Bridge is presented thanks to images from one of the story’s protagonists, Mounir Bouchenaki, former Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO. The destruction in Iraq and Syria points by default to the greatness of many sites located there, including Palmyra, which is presented with original artefacts on loan from the Vatican Museums.
The exhibition also tells of a growing awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, which over time has gathered almost all countries of the world into a common belief in the concept of World Heritage. This awareness was apparently born from the appeal to save the Nubian monuments from the waters of the Aswan dam, the final episode of this incredible tale.
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