MANN director Paolo Giulierini on reopening prehistoric and Magna Graecia sections

Paolo Giulierini, director of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), outlines major renovations and reopenings. The Magna Graecia section, closed since the 1970s, will reopen in early 2019 with a project by the late professor Enzo Lippolis. The Prehistory section reopens in September 2018 with updated educational displays. By 2019, the Braccio Nuovo will open, adding 4,400 sqm of space including a restaurant, café, auditorium, and Pompeian technology wing. Four new restoration labs opened last year. Three construction sites start between 2018-2019: reinstallation of the Statuary Campana, roof and attic recovery (including the 'sing sing' deposits), and window restoration. Historic gardens—Giardino delle Camelie and Giardino delle Fontane—have reopened; Giardino della Vannella will be fully restored by 2019. The museum's 'Alla scoperta dei tesori del MANN' initiative returns in May, featuring unseen masterpieces from storage, starting with gladiator weapons. Giulierini highlights the archaeological path at Capodichino Airport with Gesac as a success, and unresolved issues near the museum like the Galleria Principe di Napoli. He credits Naples' cultural revival to its historical-artistic potential and affordable pricing, with autonomous institutions like MANN and Capodimonte driving growth. He praises the 'Fathers and Sons' videogame as a brilliant outreach tool. On the Franceschini reform, he believes it will continue with adjustments.