The National Archeological Museum of Naples, MANN, has unveiled its program for 2019-2020, and it’s rich with outstanding exhibitions, the awaited re-opening of important sections, and the restyling of others. The program has been called ‘Mann at Work’ and, in the words of its director, Paolo Giulierini, “In 2020, Naples will have an archeological museum that previous generations have never seen before.”
The MANN is one of Italy’s most important archaeological museums, with extensive collections of Greek and Roman antiquities. A good part of the museum's classical sculpture collection comes from the so-called Farnese Marbles, which include Roman interpretations of classical Greek sculpture.
The collection also features Roman artifacts from nearby Pompeii, Stabiae and Herculaneum, including ancient Roman bronzes from the Villa of the Papyri in Pompeii.
The scheduled re-opening of the Magna Graecia section, which was closed for 20 years, is one of the highlights of the museum’s 2019-2020 program: some 700 restored pieces will be displayed thematically to tell the story of Greek settlement in southern Italy.
Another awaited reopening concerns the renovated Vanella Garden, which stands next to a Greek-Roman necropolis, while the Prehistory section is getting a restyling.
As for exhibitions, “Canova e l’antico,” scheduled to open on March 28, is devoted to Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova and will feature exceptional loans from the Museum of St. Petersburg in Russia, which houses the greatest number of Canova’s marble masterpieces. The exhibition, made possible thanks to a collaboration project launched in 2017 with the State Hermitage Museum, will focus on the relationship between Canova’s art and ancient art and with the models that inspired him.
Other upcoming exhibitions to watch out for include “Pompeii and the Etruscans,” opening on May 30, which recounts the Etruscan presence in southern Italy between the 8th and the 5th century BC; one dedicated to the Mediterranean Sea as a space for encounters, “Thalassa” (in Greek mythology the primeval spirit of the sea), with displays of precious finds of underwater archeology; and one opening in September, which will present the museum’s collection of gladiator weapons, and should become a permanent exhibition.
Last year, MANN had a record 613,000 visitors, an increase of 16% compared to the previous year and 4,000 people have already signed up for the annual Open Mann card, reports ANSA.
To keep up-to-date with the MANN’s programs and events, visit the museum’s website.
