ICOM Italy Launches 'Adotta un Museo' Campaign for Earthquake-Damaged Museums

Following the 2016 earthquakes that devastated central Italy, ICOM Italy has launched the 'Adotta un Museo' (Adopt a Museum) campaign to support 34 museums damaged by the seismic events. The earthquakes occurred on August 24, August 26, and October 30, 2016, destroying many small towns in Lazio, Umbria, and Marche, and causing numerous casualties. The campaign aims to coordinate aid and donations from institutions, entities, and private individuals, and to launch a crowdfunding initiative via GoFundMe starting September 2017. ICOM Italy president Tiziana Maffei stated the organization acts as a mediator between museum needs and aid proposals, with the goal of mending physical damage through restoration of collections and structures, as well as psychological and emotional recovery by re-establishing museums as community hubs. The campaign follows the approval of a 'Decalogue for Emergencies' drafted by ICOM in October 2016 to guide cultural heritage protection actions.