Combining culture and health to improve the well-being of children and their families. This is the heart of A Relationship that Cures, the project that stems from the memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Culture, through the Regional Directorate National Museums of Liguria and the National Museums of Genoa, and theGiannina Gaslini Institute of Genoa, Italian excellence in pediatrics and medical research.
The three-year agreement was presented Friday in the Ballroom of the Royal Palace in Genoa in the presence of representatives of the two institutions. At the heart of the initiative is a simple and powerful idea: to offer children, teens and families who spend a period of hospitalization or treatment at Gaslini the opportunity to experience moments of fun and knowledge through Ligurian cultural venues.
The project, conceived and promoted by the Reception, Inclusivity and Accessibility Service of the National Museums of Genoa, provides a free pass for admission to museums and cultural sites in Liguria. The pass, already granted to minors, is now extended to their family members, with the aim of offering shared experiences of lightness and discovery.
To take advantage of the initiative, families can contact the Gaslini Institute’s hospitality desk, located at the CABEF office (Hall 13, sea-side entrance, ground floor). The hospital’s operators will fill out and issue a named coupon, which will allow free access to the thirteen Ligurian museums involved in the project.
The collaboration between the two institutions is the result of a common vision: to consider culture as an essential component of well-being. As Alessandra Guerrini, director of the National Museums of Genoa and Liguria, explained, “We are presenting today an agreement that is very important for us, because it concerns activities that are particularly close to our hearts. Cultural heritage belongs to everyone, and it should be made accessible to everyone so that everyone can benefit from it. We are happy to start this work together with the Gaslini Institute: it will allow us to involve children, young people and families, offering moments that we hope will lighten the period of hospitalization and stimulate curiosity and knowledge of our Museums.”
A thought also shared by Renato Botti, director general of IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini: “This protocol represents an important step in our commitment to the well-being of children and their families. The collaboration with the National Museums of Genoa and Liguria stems from the awareness that culture can also offer moments of serenity and discovery, capable of enriching the experience of those who spend time at Gaslini. An initiative that unites two worlds - health and culture - in a common vision of attention to the person.”
The agreement, which involves museums and sites distributed throughout the Ligurian territory, from Ventimiglia to Luni, aims to promote an accessible, empathetic and inclusive culture that can concretely contribute to people’s well-being. The experience of visiting thus becomes part of a broader therapeutic pathway, in which beauty and knowledge complement medical care, turning into tools for relief and personal growth.
The participating venues are the Museum of the Royal Palace and Palazzo Spinola - National Gallery of Liguria, the National Prehistoric Museum of Balzi Rossi and theNervia Archaeological Area in Ventimiglia, Forte Santa Tecla in Sanremo, Forte San Giovanni in Finale Ligure, the Museum of theGlass Art in Altare, the National Archaeological Museum in Chiavari, the Varignano Roman Villa in Portovenere, the Castle of San Terenzo, the Firmafede Fortress and Sarzanello Fortress in Sarzana, and the National Archaeological Museum in Luni. Thirteen stages for an ideal journey through the history and art of Liguria, designed to welcome those experiencing moments of fragility and restore, through culture, a sense of normalcy and hope.
The agreement is not limited to free admission: it also includes dedicated guided tours, organized and managed by Ministry of Culture staff, and the participation of young patients and their families in events, concerts and shows organized in museums and archaeological areas. The goal is to build personalized experiences, capable of adapting to the different needs and times of Gaslini’s guest families.
Another innovative aspect of the project is the possibility of accessing cultural heritage at a distance, thanks to the sharing of audiovisual materials and high-definition videos created by museums. This content will be able to be screened directly inside the children’s hospital, opening a true cultural window between the museums and Gaslini. This is a way to bring art and beauty even to those who, for health reasons, cannot travel, while still keeping the relationship with the territory alive.
In this perspective, A relationship that heals represents a first step toward building a permanent network between culture and health, based on dialogue, inclusion and solidarity. Indeed, the project intends to develop and enrich itself over time, giving rise to new exchange initiatives, workshops and participatory activities that will involve local communities and museum staff.
The choice to start from Genoa and Liguria is not random: the region, with its widespread heritage, offers a variety of places capable of telling different and complementary stories. From coastal fortresses to Baroque palaces, from archaeological sites to art collections, Ligurian museums are thus opening up to new audiences, welcoming the challenge of cultural accessibility as an integral part of their mission.
With this initiative, the Ministry of Culture and the Gaslini Institute are proposing a model of collaboration that goes beyond a simple institutional convention: a dialogue between care and culture, between knowledge and humanity, which recognizes in places of art a therapeutic value. Culture, in this context, is not only heritage to be preserved, but a tool for generating well-being and building relationships. A form of attention to the person that returns museums to their most authentic function: that of being spaces of community, encounter and shared care.
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| Art to heal: Ligurian Museums together with Genoa's Gaslini for children in care |
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