Master PARES - Step 3

During this week of the master we were not in Narni but in Rome with the opportunity to take part to the AIPAI workshop. AIPAI is an association born in 1978 with the aim to safeguard the industrial heritage all over the world.

The first meeting took place in Montemartini, the first public electric power station of Rome.

It’s construction started in 1907 with Giolitti’s age, to give to all people, not only the richest ones, the chance to use electricity. In fact, before that time the energy was produced by a private society, the Anglosaxon, who set its own price to the market, with no public regulation whatsoever. With the First World War the factory was partially damaged by the bombings. It’s said that the enemy’s air force did not destroy it because some workers put on top of the factory a flag of the Vatican. (I do not think that an airplane could see that from such altitude).

During the fascist regime the factory was enhanced with more diesel turbine and some fascist emblems that are still visible on the principal facade. There is a video from LUCE of the inauguration with Benito Mussolini who pressed the button to switch on the turbine on 21 of April, 1933

In 1995 some areas of the Capitoline Museums in Campidoglio had to be closed to the public, to allow the renovation works. The sculptures were exhibited in some rooms of Montemartini power station, initially as a temporary arrangement. (it was already abandoned). In 2005, after completing the works at the Capitoline Museums, many sculptures remained in there, so the factory became a permanent museum.

As soon as we enter the museum, this is the scene in front of us.

First of all a the beautiful white statue from greek period. We see it, it’s a beautiful piece of art, it’s ancient. On the background we see the black big piece of iron, which is the base of the turbine which is stiil there. Turn a piece of iron meaningfull is the aim of the museum. This happen not only by preserving the building itself or the machines, but also people memory of works.

The next day we visited the sanctuary of Ercole Vincitore ii Tivoli. It was a very interesting route for the sanctuary itself, but mostly because in ’90 it became an hydroelectric power station. This use is unthinkable nowadays, but it makes us reflect. Even if the use is obviusly incompatible, this allowed us to see the sanctuary even today, because the part not used has been lost forever.