Il patrimonio archeologico del Museo Maria Accascina di Messina come “memorie del futuro”: dalle ricerche urbane di Paolo Orsi allo storytelling museale

Abstract

This contribution brings together the work of four authors, offering different perspectives on museum communication
aimed at enhancing the archaeological heritage. The first part reconstructs the history of the archaeological collections. It
traces them from the antiquarian collections of the nineteenth-century Peloritano Civic Museum to the founding of the
National Museum of Messina. Next, the paper offers a reinterpretation of some archaeological sites saved by Paolo Orsi and
his collaborators. They worked during the city’s turbulent reconstruction after the 1908 earthquake. The hermeneutic
processes activated in the institutional work of inventorying the museum’s archaeological heritage are illustrated. Through
these processes, it was possible to unearth scientific data acquired from centuries-old urban archaeological research. In this
way, the stories of the finds preserved in the Museum were brought to light. To tell these stories, public archaeology initiatives
have been launched. These initiatives use storytelling methods and strategies to extract a narrative from this vast repository
of historical memories, accessible to all. They present the birth and development of ancient urban communities.
This is a museum communication project open to all who wish to collaborate in building the City of the Strait’s historical
memory. This process of opening to the city has led to scientific collaborations. One result is a 3D digitisation laboratory
for the archaeological heritage preserved in our Museum. The results of this collaboration are illustrated in the second part
of this contribution. The article concludes with a review of institutional actions undertaken and underway. These actions
aim to improve the accessibility of visitor routes through digital tools.