The Appia is modern

The Casale di Santa Maria Nova, which is located within the archaeological area of ​​the Villa dei Quintili, hosts the exhibition The Appia is modern, curated by Claudia Conforti, Roberto Dulio, Simone Quilici and Ilaria Sgarbozza. This three-storey building, a residence from the early twentieth century which includes a watchtower and a medieval farmhouse set on a mighty Roman cistern, is located between the mounds of the Horatii and Curiazi, on the opposite side of the road, and is used as a reception point for tourists and a centre intended to illustrate the history of the transformation of the Appia through the centuries.

The exhibition focuses on the architectural and artistic projects and initiatives of the twentieth century, demonstrating that the Appia Antica is also modern. Drawings, paintings, photographs, illustrations, advertising posters, architectural inventions and archive documents from the last century, in fact, without entering into conflict with the ancient, shed new light on a century that contributed to redesigning one of the most famous consular streets, making it an integral part of the urban dynamics of Rome, no longer linked to the nineteenth-century concept of an open-air museum.

The exhibition, which is divided into six sections, presents the architectural projects signed by the great architects of the last century; the transformation of the botanical landscape by Antonio Muñoz; unpublished frames extrapolated from cinematographic films; the figurative arts – between Realism, Symbolism and Abstraction – in the paintings of Duilio Cambellotti, Giulio Aristide Sartorio, Francesco Trombadori, Carlo Socrate; the luxurious villas of Hollywood stars; cinema and finally comics.

To enrich the exhibition, visitors can admire the photographs of Francesco Jodice, who presented his vision of the Appian Way.

The exhibition is promoted by the Appia Antica Archaeological Park and by the General Directorate of Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture, with the organization of Electa, also publisher of the catalogue.