Al Centro di Roma - Lecture Series (Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia)

A museum that becomes a hub of knowledge

Al Centro di Roma is the lecture series promoted by the VIVE Institute — Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia, created by director Edith Gabrielli. Launched in 2022, the series has established itself as one of the most consistent and popular cultural events in the Municipality of Rome, within the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. The underlying idea is simple yet ambitious: to make the museum not just a place of preservation, but a public space for discussion, where the latest academic research is shared with a non-specialist audience.

The lectures are held in the Sala del Refettorio of Palazzo Venezia, at Via del Plebiscito 118, with some events hosted at the Vittoriano. The schedule is weekly: every Thursday at 6:00 PM, from late February to December.

Seven thematic cycles, one vision of the city

The program is organized into thematic cycles, each entrusted to an academic curator who builds a coherent series of meetings. The disciplines involved create a multi-faceted portrait of Rome: modern and contemporary history, art history, archaeology, architecture, history of the aristocracy, philosophy, and a cycle dedicated to the Institute's own collections.

• History — Rome, Italy, and the Mediterranean, curated by Francesco Benigno
• Art History — Ongoing Research, curated by Silvia Ginzburg
• Architecture — Italian Architecture in Africa for a New Cultural Alliance, curated by Orazio Carpenzano
• Archaeology — The Dialogues of Rome. Europe, Asia, and Africa around the Mediterranean, curated by Paolo Carafa
• History of the Aristocracy — Nobles in Rome, curated by Marina Formica
• Philosophy — On Human Nature. From Descartes to artificial cyborgs, via Darwin, curated by Francesco Ferretti
• VIVE Collections — Reintegrations. From storage to the exhibition path

Who speaks, and why it matters

The speakers largely come from Roman and Italian universities — Sapienza, Roma Tre, Tor Vergata, Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa — but the series also hosts international scholars and cultural figures. This is not simplified popularization: the talks present ongoing research, recent discoveries, and re-readings of documents and artworks. However, the tone remains accessible, as the stated goal is to foster a dialogue between the museum institution and the city that hosts it.

The cycle dedicated to the VIVE collections has particular value for visitors to Palazzo Venezia: it recounts the work of reorganizing and reintegrating works kept in storage, many of which are progressively returning to the exhibition path. It is a rare way to see the museum from the inside, following the curators' reasoning.

Palazzo Venezia and the Vittoriano

The setting is not just a detail. Palazzo Venezia, built in the 15th century and for centuries a cardinal's residence and embassy, houses one of the most important collections of decorative arts and medieval and Renaissance sculpture in Italy. The Sala del Refettorio, with its monastic proportions, offers acoustics and an atmosphere that naturally lend themselves to listening. A few steps away, the Vittoriano dominates Piazza Venezia with its terraces overlooking the Forums: when the series moves here, the lecture is accompanied by one of the most famous panoramas of the capital.

Free admission, booking recommended

All meetings are free to attend until capacity is reached. Booking via the Eventbrite platform is highly recommended, as the most anticipated evenings reach capacity a few days in advance. No academic background or prior knowledge is required: the series is designed for residents, students, passing visitors, and anyone who wants to dedicate an hour and a half of their week to a well-told topic.

A staple in the Roman calendar

With approximately four thousand attendees recorded in the previous edition, Al Centro di Roma has carved out a stable space among the city's free cultural offerings. The formula — a fixed day, a fixed time, a recognizable venue — has created a loyal audience that follows entire cycles and often stays to discuss with the speakers at the end of the meeting. This is perhaps the most significant result: a series that does not just inform, but builds community around heritage.