After nearly a century and a half of creating memorable stays in Rome, Bettoja Hotels is participating in a new initiative to help restore and display hidden pieces of Italy’s cultural heritage. Bettoja Hotels is proud to be part of “Art Out of the Museum” (“Arte Fuori del Museo”), a program developed to bring unseen artwork into the public eye. On October 15, 2024, Bettoja Hotels’ flagship property Hotel Mediterraneo unveiled the first restored work in its lobby to launch this exciting new collaboration.
While travel has rebounded post-pandemic, museum budgets worldwide continue to lack the funding needed to operate, let alone restore work. “Art Out of the Museum” sets the stage for exciting partnerships between the hospitality industry and cultural institutions around the world. Bettoja Hotels signed a memorandum of understanding with the non-profit association LoveItaly, the General Directorate of Museums of the Italian Culture Ministry, and Federalberghi Lazio, Federation of Italian hotels.
The pilot program with Bettoja Hotels seeks to be a model across Italy, connecting artworks in need of restoration with nearby hotels who can sponsor them and display them for a limited time. Currently, 90 percent of Italy’s artistic heritage is held in storage of state museums, providing ample possibilities for hotels to create unique artistic experiences within their walls. Following the G7 Culture Ministers’ Meeting on Culture in September held in Italy, the country is leading the way to protect and promote cultural heritage more than ever, and “Art Outside the Museum” contributes to these goals.
Dr. Giuseppe Roscioli, President of Federalberghi Roma, said: “Arte Fuori dal Museo is an example of how collaboration between the public and private sectors can lead to excellent results: the valorization of ‘forgotten’ art treasures corresponds to that of the hotels that will host them, celebrating a combination, art and tourism, which represents the true recognition of the Rome brand in the world.”
On October 15th, Bettoja Hotels’ Hotel Mediterraneo, officially inaugurated the first artwork sponsored by the family-run hotel group in collaboration with the National Roman Museum. A second century AD marble statue of the goddess Roma or Virtus will be displayed in the hotel for one year in a glass enclosed case. The property financed its restoration, and it will stand in the public lobby for both guests and the general public to experience. Prior to the restoration, the work was kept in the deposit of the National Roman Museum at the Baths. After its tenure at the hotel, the statue will return to the museum and a new placement will be put on display in the halls of Hotel Mediterraneo.
“The statue of the goddess Rome, from the repositories of the Roman Archaeological Museum, fits perfectly both artistically and conceptually into the Hotel Mediterraneo, one of Rome’s most important rationalist buildings,” said Maurizio Bettoja, President of Bettoja Hotels. “The interiors, rich in marble and mosaics, have a theme inspired by mythology and Romanity, with depictions of Ulysses and his journey, Prometheus, Neptune and Amphitrite, Polyphemus, and the great map of the Mediterranean, which the goddess Roma recalls and summarizes.”
There was a strong impetus in this initiative to match geographically relevant artworks to participating hotels. For this pilot program, the National Roman Museum of Palazzo Massimo is located a short three-minute walk from Hotel Mediterraneo, itself a prime example of rationalist architecture with beautifully restored interiors. The national Federalberghi, the leading organization in the tourism-accommodation sector in Italy, is supporting the pilot project in Rome and Lazio with the intention of extending it nationally. Federalberghi comprises over 27,000 hotels in Italy. Since its establishment in 1899, it has been promoting tourism with an emphasis on social goals and community service. Following the project with the Hotel Mediterraneo, the initiative will involve another ten museums and ten other hotels in Italy’s Lazio region, and then extend to the national level, in agreement with the national Federalberghi.
Prof. Massimo Osanna, Director General of Museums, Ministry of Culture, said: “The exploration and implementation of innovative strategies that make cultural heritage accessible to an increasingly wider public stand at the heart of the initiatives established in recent years by the General Directorate of Museums to enhance and promote the National Museum System and Italy’s cultural heritage. The rediscovery of works of art preserved in museum storage, through restoration and installation in unusual public spaces, such as those made available by large hotels, is a significant result that demonstrates the capacity for collaboration between regional institutions, whether public or private. Such efforts not only increase the enjoyment of the works by the public, but additionally promote the diffusion of culture and artistic education in the community.”
This initiative is important now as the American Alliance of Museums confirms that travelers from the U.S. are visiting museums as much as they did in 2019. Still, museum visitations worldwide continue to hover just around pre-pandemic levels. By bringing art directly to hotels, “Art Out of the Museum” provides a fresh touchpoint for visitors to experience art and be inspired to visit a local collection.
Prof. Richard Hodges, President of LoveItaly, said: “This wonderful collaboration today returns extraordinary treasures to the city and gives visitors from all over the world the opportunity to be fascinated by little-known Italian works of art. Now, thanks to this partnership with LoveItaly, a non-profit association dedicated to enhancing Italy’s cultural heritage, these treasures will win over a new generation of admirers.”
