Carlo Calenda's controversial proposal for a single museum on Rome's history sparks debate

Carlo Calenda, a candidate in Rome's municipal elections, sparked controversy with an August 18 tweet proposing to replace the Capitoline Museums with a single museum dedicated to ancient Roman history, called Museo Unico Romano. The proposal was widely criticized by historians, museum directors, and journalists as unrealistic and dismissive of the Capitoline Museums' historical significance as the first public museum opened to the public in 1734. The article by Fabrizio Federici in Artribune explores the underlying debate about whether Rome needs a museum that explains its history to citizens and tourists, and how such a museum could be realized. It suggests a large structure with an introductory section using few significant artifacts and technology, followed by temporary exhibitions on specific themes. The article also notes the absence of a museum for St. Peter's Basilica, contrasting with recent renovations of church museums in Milan, Florence, and Pisa, and proposes a museum to tell the story of the Vatican Basilica.