The Gregoriano Profano
The Gregoriano Profano Museum was founded in the Lateran Apostolic Palace at the behest of Gregory XVI Cappellari on 16 May 1844. The findings of the pontifical archaeological excavations of the previous decades in Rome and in nearby areas (Cerveteri, Veio, Ostia) were exhibited there, along with many other antiquities that had until then been packed into the sculpture storage deposits. During the 1960s all the collections previously held in the Lateran Palace were transferred to the Vatican, where in June 1970 the new wing was inaugurated. The architectural project, strongly encouraged by Pope Paul VI, was entrusted to the practice of Vincenzo, Fausto and Lucio Passarelli. The building is notable for its use of natural light, which is diffused through large windows and skylights, and maximised byo the absence of distinct divisions within the space. Indeed, the partitions between the display zones are frequently made of metal grills, upon which which many of the materials are secured, also providing extreme flexibility in terms of layout, which tends to be based on the origins of the exhibits.
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