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| Soprintendenza del Mare | |
|---|---|
| Name | Soprintendenza del Mare |
Soprintendenza del Mare is an Italian cultural heritage agency responsible for underwater cultural heritage, maritime archaeology, and coastal heritage protection in designated maritime zones. It operates within the Italian administrative and legal milieu alongside bodies such as the Ministero della Cultura, Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti, Guardia Costiera, Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale, and regional Regione Siciliana authorities. The agency engages with international institutions including UNESCO, International Council on Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS, European Commission, and partner universities such as Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Università degli Studi di Bari, and Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza".
The roots of the agency lie in post‑war Italian efforts to protect submerged antiquities following incidents involving collections linked to Vittorio Emanuele III, Pietro Barocchi, and early 20th‑century excavations near Pompei, Herculaneum, Portus. Legislative milestones include influence from the Codice dei beni culturali e del paesaggio, the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001), and national decrees responding to shipwreck finds such as the Santasofia wreck and discoveries in the Gulf of Naples. Over decades the office expanded interactions with Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, Museo Nazionale Romano, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Taranto, and international teams from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Université de Paris, and Smithsonian Institution.
Jurisdictional competence arises from statutes including the Codice dei beni culturali e del paesaggio and implementing decrees coordinated with the Ministero della Difesa for naval zones and the Ministero della Transizione Ecologica for marine protected areas like Parco Nazionale del Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni and Area Marina Protetta Capo Rizzuto. Internationally, the agency aligns policy with the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and European directives adopted by the European Parliament and European Council. Enforcement is exercised cooperatively with the Guardia di Finanza, Polizia di Stato, and regional Superintendencies such as Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Foggia, Barletta-Andria-Trani.
The organization comprises divisions for maritime archaeology, conservation, archives, and public outreach, coordinating with research centers like CNR institutes, the ISCR, and museums including Archaeological Superintendency of Emilia-Romagna. Core functions include site designation, permits for underwater excavation, preventive archaeology related to port works at sites such as Porto di Civitavecchia and Porto di Genova, artifact conservation, and exhibition planning in collaboration with institutions like the Musei Vaticani and Palazzo dei Conservatori. The agency manages liaison with professional bodies such as Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, Associazione Italiana di Archeologia Subacquea, and legal authorities including the Corte dei Conti for budgeting and audits.
Conservation programs follow standards from ICOMOS charters and methodologies developed by the Centro di Conservazione e Restauro "La Venaria Reale", partnering with laboratories at Università Ca' Foscari Venezia and Politecnico di Milano. Management spans preventive conservation for wreck sites off Sardegna, in situ stabilization for finds in the Mediterranean Sea, and collaboration with the Salvage and Recovery Unit of the Marina Militare for warship remains such as those near Lampedusa and Ustica. The Soprintendenza interacts with museum curators at Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Napoli and Museo Nazionale di Taranto to create displays compliant with conservation ethics promoted by ICCROM.
Research programs include systematic surveys, remote sensing projects with partners like ENEA and academic teams from Università di Pisa, experimental archaeology linked to finds similar to the Mavenna ship and studies of amphora distributions tied to trade routes documented in works by Federico Barca and teams from British School at Rome. The agency fosters student training through collaborations with Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, field schools run with Institute of Nautical Archaeology affiliates, and publication series in journals such as Bollettino d'Arte and Journal of Maritime Archaeology.
Major initiatives include coordinated excavations at sites near Baia (Naples), the documentation of wrecks in the Strait of Messina, underwater surveys for the Linea Alta Velocità Roma-Napoli and port expansions at Livorno, heritage interpretation projects with Fondazione Museo del Mare, and digitization efforts with Digital Humanities centers at Università di Bologna and the Fondazione Bruno Kessler. International cooperation has engaged teams from NOAA, British Museum, Museo Nacional del Prado advisors, and EU funding through Horizon 2020 and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund programs.
Challenges include balancing development projects at Port of Naples and Port of Genoa with site protection, disputes over artifact custody involving municipal museums such as Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Ferrara, repatriation questions raised vis‑à‑vis private collectors and institutions like Musee du Louvre, and operational conflicts with maritime industries represented by Confitarma and Assarmatori. Controversies have arisen from salvage concessions, divergent interpretations of the UNESCO Convention, and high‑profile looting incidents that prompted investigations by the Procura della Repubblica and interventions by Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale.