Rome’s former Mint to become a cultural hub with €25M restoration

The Italian government has allocated €25 million for the restoration of the former State Mint (ex Zecca dell'Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato) in Rome's Esquilino district, aiming to transform the 14,000 sqm early 20th-century building into a multifunctional cultural center. The property, owned by the Ministry of the Treasury, has been abandoned since the Mint moved to a temporary location on Via Salaria in 2006. A design competition launched with prizes of €200,000, €70,000, and €30,000 will close on May 3. The project includes a museum for the Mint's collection of over 20,000 coins, medals, and wax models (including 425 by Benedetto Pistrucci), a bookshop, artisan workshops, a conference center, the School of the Art of the Medal, and public spaces. The initiative mirrors the transformation of the Monnaie de Paris, which received €75 million for a similar conversion. The IPZS (Istituto Poligrafico Zecca dello Stato) plans to appoint a scientific director and curator. The building, inaugurated by King Vittorio Emanuele III in 1911, operated until 2006. The restoration also aims to improve the degraded urban context of the Esquilino neighborhood.