Bettoja Hotels has created memorable stays in Rome for almost a century and a half. Now, the hotel group is participating in an exciting 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. Meanwhile, October 15, 2024, saw Bettoja Hotel’s flagship property, Hotel Mediterraneo, unveiled the first restored work in its lobby, as it launched the exciting new collaboration.

Bettoja Hotels and ‘Art Out of the Museum’

While travel has returned in full force following the pandemic, museums around the world continue to lack the funding needed to operate, let alone restore work. “Art Out of the Museum” has marked the start of exciting partnerships between the hospitality industry and cultural institutions around the world.

Rome-based Bettoja Hotels has 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. Moreover, the plan is to connect artworks in need of restoration with nearby hotels, which can sponsor them and display them for a limited time.

Meanwhile, 90 percent of Italy’s artistic heritage is in storage in state museums. This provides 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 leads the way in protecting and promoting cultural heritage more than ever. and the new initiative, “Art Outside the Museum,” contributes to these goals.

‘Valorization of forgotten art treasures’

Dr. Giuseppe Roscioli, President of Federalberghi Roma, said of the initiative:

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.

About the statue

Bettoja Hotels’ Hotel Mediterraneo officially inaugurated the first sponsored artwork by the family-run hotel group. Working in collaboration with the National Roman Museum, the hotel’s lobby hosts a second-century AD marble statue of the goddess Roma, or Virtus, that will be displayed in the hotel for one year, housed in a glass-enclosed case.

With its restoration financed by the hotel, the beautiful statue will stand in the public lobby for both guests and the general public to experience. Meanwhile, before the restoration, the statue was kept in the deposit of the National Roman Museum at the Baths. After its tenure at Hotel Mediterraneo, the statue will return to the museum and will have a new placement to be placed on display at the hotel.

Maurizio Bettoja, President of Bettoja Hotels, said:

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.

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.

Due to the importance of the initiative to match geographically relevant artworks to participating hotels, the pilot program of 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

Moreover, the national Federalbergi, the leading organization in the tourism accommodation sector in Italy, supports the pilot project in Rome and Lazio, intending to extend it nationally. Federalberghi comprises more than 27,000 hotels in Italy and since its establishment in 1899, has been promoting tourism with an emphasis on social goals and community service.

Following the new initiative at the Hotel Mediterraneo, the project will involve a further 10 museums in the Lazio region of Italy. Moreover, it will then extend to the national level in agreement with the national Federalberghi.

‘Art Out of the Museum’ An Innovative Strategy

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.

The Art Out of the Museum initiative is important now as the American Alliance of Museums confirms that travelers from the US are visiting museums as much as they did in 2019. By bringing art directly to hotels the initiative provides a fresh touch-point for visitors to experience art and be inspired to visit a local collection.

“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,” Prof. Richard Hodges, President of LoveItaly, said. “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.”

 About Bettoja Hotels

Located in the heart of Rome, surrounded by the famous artistic and cultural wonders of the Eternal City, Bettoja Hotels is a family-run hotel group born from the passion of the Bettoja family for hospitality since 1875. Readers can learn more from the hotel group’s website here.