Caput Mundi: Conservative restoration and enhancement of the Via Pescara/Via Taranto Columbarium complex

Caput Mundi Next Generation EU for touristic great events (Mission 1, Component 3, Investment 4.3)

Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan increases the number of accessible tourist sites in Rome, creating valid and qualified tourist and cultural alternatives with respect to the crowded central areas, as well as increasing the use of digital technologies, enhance green areas and the sustainability of tourism. The investment envisages six lines of interventions:
1. “Roman Cultural Heritage for EU-Next Generation”, covering the regeneration and restoration of cultural and urban heritage and complexes of high historical-architectural value of the city of Rome;
2. “Jubilee paths” (from pagan to Christian Rome), targeted to the enhancement, safety, anti-seismic consolidation, restoration of places and buildings of historical interest and archaeological pathways;
3. #LaCittàCondivisa, covering the redevelopment of sites in peripheral areas;
4. #Mitingodiverde, covering interventions on parks, historical gardens, villas and fountains;
5. #Roma 4.0, covering the digitalization of cultural services and the development of apps for tourists;
6. #Amanotesa, aimed at increasing the supply of cultural offer to peripheries for social integration.

The investment is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility by EUR 500 million and includes this project.
The restoration project for the Columbarium in Via Pescara, currently closed to the public, includes replacing access hatches, upgrading metal stairs, and renovating the lighting system to ensure safety and enhance the site. A continuous monitoring system will also be installed to preserve the frescoes and protect the tombs’ historical and artistic value. This project is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility with EUR 417000. The Columbarium in Via Pescara, consisting of two tombs discovered in 1932, is currently inaccessible to the public. The project for the conservative restoration and enhancement includes several key phases. Firstly, the currently misaligned and problematic hatches will be replaced, allowing safe access to the tombs. The metal stairs will be updated to meet safety standards and ensure easy and secure access for both experts and visitors. Furthermore, to best preserve the frescoes found in the complex and maintain their significant historical and artistic value, a continuous monitoring system will be implemented to track their condition over time and prevent deterioration. Finally, the lighting system will be renovated to better highlight the frescoes and architectural elements of the Columbarium, contributing to the conservation and overall enhancement of this important historical site.