Art and Tourism Combine in New Bettoja Hotels Innovative Program

Tourists visiting Bettoja Hotels in Rome will get an experience like none other.

Art on display at Hotel Mediterraneo in lobby. / Mandatory Credit - courtesy of Virginia Bettoja

Bettoja Hotels has been hosting tourists and visitors throughout Rome for almost 150 years. They have been bringing the city to life during that time and are now starting a new initiative to continue embracing and showcasing Italian cultural heritage.

Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio was the first property that the family acquired. The historic Ristorante Massimo D’Azeglio, which is part of the Italian Historical Places Association, is featured in that hotel.

“Art Out of the Museum” is a new initiative they are partaking in that will restore some art and bring other pieces that are unseen to the forefront for the public to view.

It is a collaboration between the hospitality and cultural industries, providing a unique experience for anyone lucky enough to witness it. The goal is for artwork to be brought into the community for everyone’s enjoyment.

“Arte Fuori dal Museo is an example of how collaboration between the public and private sectors can lead to excellent results: the valorization of ‘forgotten’ art treasures corresponds to that of the hotels that will host them, celebrating a combination, art and tourism, which represents the true recognition of the Rome brand in the world,” said Dr. Giuseppe Roscioli, President of Federalberghi Roma, in a release.

Hotel Mediterraneo, the flagship property for the new initiative, launched on October 15th, 2024 with the restored artwork being displayed in the lobby. The work is collaborated with the National Roman Museum.

For one year, a second-century AD marble statue of the goddess of Roma or Virtus will be displayed in a glass case. Bettoja Hotels covered the cost of restoration, as the piece was sitting in deposit at the National Roman Museum at the Baths.

After its time in the lobby is up, another prominent piece will take its place in the Hotel Mediterraneo lobby.

“The statue of the goddess Rome, from the repositories of the Roman Archaeological Museum, fits perfectly both artistically and conceptually into the Hotel Mediterraneo, one of Rome's most important rationalist buildings,” said Maurizio Bettoja, President of Bettoja Hotels, in a release. “The interiors, rich in marble and mosaics, have a theme inspired by mythology and Romanity, with depictions of Ulysses and his journey, Prometheus, Neptune and Amphitrite, Polyphemus, and the great map of the Mediterranean, which the goddess Roma recalls and summarizes.”

Left to right Stephane Verger (Dir of the Roman National Museum), Tracy Roberts (VP of LoveItaly), Maurizio Bettoja, President of Bettoja Hotels. / Mandatory Credit - courtesy of Bettoja Hotels

There is hope that what Bottoja Hotels is doing with their pilot program can lead to similar things being done across Italy. A lot of effort and work was put in to match artwork with the area they are being displayed, connecting the community even more.

Museums haven’t quite rebounded post-pandemic, but there is optimism that more partnerships and collaborations of this magnitude can help get them back on track.