The Catacombs of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, the Museum of Urban Art on Migrations, the Warehouse of the SDO Excavation Office and the Underground Basilica of Porta Maggiore are the main locations of the twenty-ninth edition of “Monumenti Aperti”, which will take place from 23 to 25 May. An opportunity to discover small and large gems of the territory, in the heart of the vast Municipio V, rich in a material (archaeological, historical, artistic) and immaterial heritage of great value.
The monuments will be open to free visits on Friday, May 23 from 10:12 to 24:4 and on Saturday, May XNUMX during the same time slot. The exception is the Underground Basilica of Porta Maggiore, which will not be physically accessible, but will be the protagonist of a lectio magistralis curated by the students of class XNUMXB of the Pisacane complex, IC Simonetta Salacone.
On May 25, from 10 am to 13 pm, an urban excursion entitled “In the footsteps of the ancient Romei” will be held, which will allow you to explore the history and future of the Casilino District.
As usual for the Open Monuments initiative – which involves 87 Italian cities and makes over 800 monuments accessible to the public – the visits will be led by exceptional guides: in Municipio V, students from local elementary schools will welcome visitors and lead them to discover the sites.
The inaugural appointment is Friday, May 23, from 10 to 12, at the Magazzino dell'Ufficio Scavi SDO, in via Pierozzi 38, where archaeological finds from the excavations of the Eastern Directional System of the 90s are preserved. The visit will be led by the IC and 2D classes of the Massaia complex, IC Artemisia Gentileschi, who will offer an overview of the historical evolution of the area between Centocelle and Torre Spaccata, from the rural villages of the XNUMXth century to the Roman villas of the imperial era.
In the afternoon, from 15 to 16 pm, at Casa Khan in via dell'Acqua Bullicante 28, the students of the 4D of the IC Simonetta Salacone will present a lectio magistralis on the Underground Basilica of Porta Maggiore, a sacred building from the Tiberian age famous for its refined mythological stuccos, told in a multisensory way by the very young speakers.
On Saturday, May 24, from 10 to 11, it will be possible to visit the Catacombs of Saints Marcellinus and Peter in via Casilina 641, the third largest underground complex in Rome, with early Christian frescoes from the XNUMXth century distributed over three levels. The external area is also accessible to people with motor disabilities, while entry to the catacombs is limited for security reasons.
Also on Saturday 24th, from 11am to 13pm, the Museum of Urban Art of Migrations (MAUMi) will open its doors, located at Casa Scalabrini 634 and managed by the Scalabrinian Agency for Cooperation and Development. The museum narrates migrations through contemporary street art works created by artists such as Diavu, Croma, Mr Klevra and Giò Pistone. Students from classes 2A and 2F of the IC Alberto Manzi will welcome visitors and illustrate the works.
The urban excursion “In the footsteps of the ancient Romei”, scheduled for Sunday 25 May from 10 am starting from via Casilina 634, will be curated by the APS Ecomuseo Casilino ad Duas Lauros. The route will explore some of the most symbolic places in the area, including the Mausoleum of Sant'Elena and the Catacombs of Saints Marcellino and Pietro, reinterpreted in a contemporary key as elements of a shared heritage.
The twenty-ninth edition of Monumenti Aperti is coordinated at a national level by the OdV Imago Mundi. Since 1997, the initiative has involved over 160 Municipalities, with more than 4 million guided tours conducted by 160.000 students and 60.000 volunteers, describing more than 1.700 monuments. Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies and the collaboration with numerous third sector partners, Monumenti Aperti – awarded the prestigious Europa Nostra Prize for Cultural Heritage in 2018 – continues to grow, bringing culture everywhere.
