ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Fumetti nei Musei: Comics Explore Italian Museum Collections Online During Lockdown

publication · 2026-04-27

During the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBACT) made the entire collection of 'Fumetti nei Musei' (Comics in Museums) freely available online. The project, launched in December 2019 with an exhibition at the Istituto Centrale della Grafica in Rome, is now in its second edition. It features 29 Italian comic artists, each assigned to interpret a specific museum's collection through comics. The initiative is produced by MiBACT together with Coconino Press, directed by Ratigher. Artists include Altan, Palumbo, ZUZU, Fulvio Risuleo, Giacomo Nanni, Paolo Bacilieri, and Bianca Bagnarelli. Museums covered range from Villa Borghese in Rome to the Castello Scaligero di Sirmione, the Parco Archeologico di Ercolano, and the Parco dell'Appia Antica. Ratigher emphasized the goal of moving away from an educational, sacral approach toward play and human substance. The graphic design was handled by LRNZ, and Chiara Palmieri managed project development. During the health emergency, Coconino Press offers free digital versions daily on Issuu, with Sundays dedicated to the series. The project aims to keep art lovers engaged while museums remain closed.

Key facts

  • Fumetti nei Musei is a project by MiBACT and Coconino Press, now in its second edition.
  • It features 29 Italian comic artists interpreting museum collections.
  • The project was launched in December 2019 at the Istituto Centrale della Grafica in Rome.
  • During the COVID-19 lockdown, the entire collection was made available online for free.
  • Artists include Altan, Palumbo, ZUZU, Fulvio Risuleo, Giacomo Nanni, Paolo Bacilieri, and Bianca Bagnarelli.
  • Museums include Villa Borghese, Castello Scaligero di Sirmione, Parco Archeologico di Ercolano, and Parco dell'Appia Antica.
  • Ratigher is the director of Coconino Press and was interviewed about the project.
  • Graphic design was by LRNZ; project development by Chiara Palmieri.
  • Coconino Press offers free digital versions daily on Issuu, with Sundays dedicated to Fumetti nei Musei.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (MiBACT)
  • Coconino Press
  • Istituto Centrale della Grafica
  • Villa Borghese
  • Castello Scaligero di Sirmione
  • Parco Archeologico di Ercolano
  • Parco dell'Appia Antica
  • Brera
  • Parco di Pompei
  • Issuu
  • Coconino Press – Fandango
  • Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo (Mibact)
  • Galleria dell'Accademia (Florence)
  • Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (Urbino)
  • Pinacoteca di Brera (Milan)
  • Galleria Borghese (Rome)
  • Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (Rome)
  • Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria (Perugia)
  • Gallerie degli Uffizi (Florence)
  • Gallerie dell'Accademia (Venice)
  • Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica (Rome)
  • Musei Reali (Turin)
  • Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte (Naples)
  • Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Florence)
  • Palazzo Reale (Genoa)
  • Parco Archeologico di Paestum
  • La Reggia di Caserta
  • Gallerie Estensi (Modena and Ferrara)
  • Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Naples)
  • Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Reggio Calabria)
  • Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Taranto)
  • Palazzo Ducale (Mantua)
  • Parco Archeologico di Pompei
  • Parco Archeologico del Colosseo (Rome)
  • Louvre
  • Musée d'Orsay

Locations

  • Italy
  • Rome
  • Sirmione
  • Ercolano
  • Milan
  • Pompei
  • Molisano
  • Florence
  • Urbino
  • Perugia
  • Venice
  • Turin
  • Naples
  • Genoa
  • Paestum
  • Caserta
  • Modena
  • Ferrara
  • Reggio Calabria
  • Taranto
  • Mantua
  • France

Sources

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