The Revival of Munda: National Museum of Abruzzo Returns to L’Aquila Castle
More than sixteen years after the devastating earthquake that hit L’Aquila on April 6, 2009, the National Museum of Abruzzo, also known as Munda, is finally returning to its historic location in the city’s 16th-century castle. This marks a significant milestone in the city’s reconstruction process, with a focus on preserving its cultural heritage. The museum’s reopening is a testament to the city’s resilience and determination to restore its cultural institutions.
A New Era for Munda
The newly renovated museum features a modern layout, incorporating cutting-edge technologies to enhance the visitor experience. The exhibition space is designed to be accessible to all, with anti-seismic and anti-vibration systems in place to protect the valuable artworks on display. According to Massimo Osanna, General Director of Museums of the Mic, “The return of the National Museum of Abruzzo to the Castle of L’Aquila represents a passage of great symbolic and cultural value, not only the return of a museum to its historical location but also a concrete sign of a reconstruction process that has placed heritage at the center as a public good, an instrument of knowledge, and a factor of cohesion for the community.”
The museum’s director, Federica Zalabra, adds, “Today we are not only inaugurating a new exhibition, but we are giving back to the city a place of collective memory and to the region a fundamental tool for understanding its heritage. The Castle returns to being a museum in step with the times, alive, open, in dialogue with the community and with international research.” The museum’s reopening is a result of a long and detailed process, involving research, restoration, and museographic planning, to restore accessibility to the collections and reconnect the museum with the public.
A Journey Through Time
The exhibition itinerary takes visitors on a journey from the 16th-century foundation of the Castle to the present day, featuring immersive installations, narrative images, and environments with glass floors printed with historical plans of the city. The museum’s rich permanent collections are showcased, with 98 works currently on display, including significant finds from the archaeological collection, such as the Calendar of Amiternum and the Herm of Hercules. The rest of the collections, including the archaeological section and works from the 17th century to contemporary art, will be progressively installed, with the aim of completing the museum project by the end of 2027.
The return of Munda to the Castle of L’Aquila is a significant cultural event, marking a new era for the city and the region. As Salvatore Provenzano, owner of the Special Office for the Reconstruction of L’Aquila, notes, “A compelling challenge that we wanted and for which we fought, which we completed with great effort but enormous satisfaction, convinced that the even immaterial reconstruction of our city is a key element of its rebirth.” For more information, visit Here