There is still no glimpse of a reopening date for Orvieto’s Museum of the Opera del Duomo (MODO), which has been closed since Sept. 1, 2024 with no word on when it will reopen its doors to the public. And the case now comes to Parliament. The institute, which represents a unified museum complex including the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Palazzi Papali, the Albéri Library, and the Palazzo Soliano, is officially closed to allow for redevelopment work, but the end date of the work has not yet been defined. In addition, the museum’s official website, museomodo.it, has been deactivated for almost a year (if you try to access it you are redirected to the Opera del Duomo website, where there is only a notice informing visitors about the indefinite closure).
Last November 26, the Honorable Emma Pavanelli (5 Star Movement) submitted a written question (4/06444) to the Ministers of Culture and the Interior requesting urgent information on the future of the complex. The act questions the ministers on the exact works and timelines related to the ongoing refurbishment and redevelopment work. The question highlights how the refitting works, according to public statements made by the president of the Opera del Duomo, Dr. Andrea Taddei, were not supposed to be of a particularly significant nature. The initial intention, communicated in August 2024, was in fact to revise the exhibition routes following a chronological approach and to use the upper floor of the Greek Museum to show works that were previously inaccessible. At the time, moreover, Taddei himself felt that a year’s closure might even be excessive. However, the period has passed and no clear indication has been given as to when the interventions will be completed.
The museum complex is managed by the Opera del Duomo di Orvieto, a private entity recognized by the Ministry of the Interior since 1987, which is responsible for the management, promotion, enhancement and maintenance of the entire museum system. According to Mr. Pavanelli’s knowledge, past projects related to the renovation of facilities and exhibition spaces have been at a standstill since as far back as 2004. Likewise, projects for upgrading essential facilities (electrical, fire and air conditioning), which had been started in 2019, are also reportedly suspended.
The central issue, denounced for months by the community and local art historians, is the lack of transparency. Despite numerous formal requests for clarification, the contents of the modernization project have not been made known to the community. Giordano Conticelli, an art historian from Orvieto, pointed out that the management appears “opaque and controversial” and that the project has not been presented to or discussed with the public. The lack of sharing and transparency is considered unacceptable, as a cultural heritage of this importance does not belong to administrators, but to the community, which is its true owner.
The closure debate has also involved the municipal level. As early as late February, some city councilors had submitted a question to Mayor Roberta Tardani asking for details on costs, resources, the timing of the start and end of work, and the fate of the artworks. In her response, the mayor limited herself to pointing to the board of directors and the president of the Opera del Duomo as the only parties capable of providing answers, limiting herself to hoping for maximum collaboration between the Opera and other city agencies. In the face of mounting pressure, President Taddei had let it be known in early February that a scientific commission composed of scholars and members of the Opera Board had been established. The commission had been charged with defining, through site surveys, the elements necessary for the design of the spaces, technologies, exhibition elements and facilities. This suggested that with five months to go before closing, the design, cost, and timeline were still being determined.
Pending clarity on the overall project, some works were relocated, a move that raised further questions. Some works were placed at the Faina Museum: this relocation enabled the staging of the exhibition Grandi Maestri dal Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Orvieto - from Simone Martini to Luca Signorelli. Seven months after its opening, the exhibition still has no closing date, suggesting a possible long stay of the works. Other large 16th-century canvases, originally conceived for Baroque altars, have been relocated inside the cathedral along the aisles. This solution, agreed to by the Superintendency to ensure continuous visibility and maximum protection of the works, raises museological and conservation concerns, as it risks compromising the original significance of the artifacts.
Now, M5S regional councilor Luca Simonetti has announced a further question in the regional council, to try to shed light on the reasons for the prolonged closure and to force the competent authorities to take steps to ensure transparency and participation of the local community in the interventions on a cultural asset of such significant interest. The firm point demanded is that for the MODO to recover its true civic profile, it is essential that choices be thoughtful and based on sound scientific and museological criteria, and that a certain future be guaranteed for a heritage that belongs to everyone.
|
|
| Orvieto, the closure of the Opera del Duomo Museum for more than a year reaches Parliament |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
