Nuovo Museo di Reggio Emilia Opens After Decade-Long Renovation by Italo Rota

After ten years of phased renovations, the Nuovo Museo di Reggio Emilia opens to the public on June 11, 2021. Architect Italo Rota led the transformation of the Palazzo dei Musei on via Spallanzani, choosing to distribute the budget of a new construction over a decade rather than building a new container. The result is a living, osmotic organism born from dialogue with the city, conservators, and professionals. The second floor completes the project, offering a journey from Prehistory to the 20th century, with each period distinguished by a different exhibition register. Video animations immerse visitors in prehistoric and protohistoric atmospheres, leading to displays for the Venus of Chiozza and a Copper Age axe. The route continues through the Roman era, the Renaissance (with rooms dedicated to Ariosto, the Mauriziano, and the Este family), and the 19th century. Walls are covered in special wallpaper that changes hue by epoch, and photographs interact with objects—17th-century portraits dialogue with works by Erwin Olaf, and an 18th-century perspective view pairs with a shot by Martin Parr. The 19th-century section reconstructs the studio of painter Alfonso Chierici. The 20th-century section features a photographic area titled 'La trama del visibile,' drawing from the Festival Fotografia Europea collection, with a permanent space dedicated to Luigi Ghirri, one of the most influential 20th-century photographers, hosting annual exhibitions exploring his work.