Rome lacks a historical museum of the city, argues Giovanni Borgianelli Spina

Giovanni Borgianelli Spina argues that Rome, despite its many museums, lacks a comprehensive historical museum that illustrates the city's development from its origins to the present. He notes that while other capitals have such institutions, Rome's existing museums—Palazzo Braschi and the Museo di Roma in Trastevere—focus only on select cultural and artistic aspects, ignoring demographic, ethno-anthropological, environmental, and urbanistic dynamics. Spina proposes creating a didactic museum covering the entire history of Rome's territory and population, including social conditions, daily life, and calamities like invasions, floods, and plagues. He criticizes current exhibitions for emphasizing imperial and papal luxury while omitting the lives of ordinary Romans. Spina suggests the former Mercati Generali in Via Ostiense as a potential venue. He also highlights the Tiber River's role in commerce and the historical flow of pilgrims. The article was published on Artribune.