Special projects » Love Italy

LoveItaly is a dynamic nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Italy’s rich cultural heritage by connecting passionate donors, families, foundations, and businesses with unique restoration projects in need of private funding. With a curated list of prospective projects and the capability to scout and identify new opportunities tailored to specific interests, LoveItaly offers a personalized approach to heritage conservation. Whether a crumbling fresco, an ancient ruin, or a historic monument, LoveItaly bridges the gap between those who cherish Italy’s past and the restoration efforts that ensure its future.

Working with a consolidated network of cultural institutions and professionals, we guide donors through the contractual, legal, and practical steps of the process. LoveItaly accepts private and corporate funding in Italy and the United States through American Friends of LoveItaly (AFLI), a nonprofit organization incorporated under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, making donations tax-deductible within the prescribed limits.

This is a small sample of projects around the country seeking partners for funding, and we are available to identify other works of art in need of restoration in specific parts of the country. Estimates are quoted in Euros, net of tax or contributions required by law; for more information or additional documentation on a project, please contact ciao@loveitaly.org.

Join us in safeguarding Italy’s treasures, one project at a time.

Renaissance Arches

Villa Giulia, Rome

Renaissance Arches

Villa Giulia, Rome

Villa Giulia is a stunning Renaissance villa built as a summer residence for Pope Julius III, to whom it owes its name, between 1550 and 1555 under the supervision of Giorgio Vasari. Michelangelo also worked on the project. Today it houses the National Etruscan Museum – ETRU.

Pope Julius, a great connoisseur of the arts, took a direct interest in the villa’s design and decor and spent vast amounts of money on enhancing its beauties. Villa Giulia is one of the most beautiful examples of Mannerist architecture.

The hemicycle of Villa Giulia is decorated with subtle paintings inspired by the grotesques of Rome’s Domus Aurea. These frescoes are in critical condition and need restoration work. Each of the ten arches is estimated at €50,000 each. A complete restoration project and proper illumination world bring back the original beauty of these spectacular decorations.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT: €500.000 ca.

PARTNER: ETRU_ Museo Nazionale Etrusco

Athena Parthenos

National Archaeological Museum, Civitavecchia

Athena Parthenos

This Roman copy of Athena Parthenos, the lost gold and ivory sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena by Phidias, dates to the mid second century AD. It was discovered during excavation of Villa Simonetti in Santa Marinella, the summer residence of Roman jurist Eneo Domizio Ulpiano.

State of Conservation: Athena Parthenos has an average degradation. The surface is covered by oxalates, caused by the dirt in the ground where it was found. Pieces of the marble are deteriorating. The statue is 3⁄4 intact with the upper extremities (arms) missing. The pins inside the bust which supported the arms are creating cracks.

Conservation Work: The surface will be cleaned to remove inconsistent and coherent deposits. A consolidant will be applied which will give new consistency to both the surface and the constituent material. Diagnostic investigations (X-ray) are proposed to understand how long the iron-carbon posts are and to establish the best method to remove them, if necessary, or treat them with a corrosion converter. At the end of the intervention, a final protective will be applied.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT: €6,500

Partner: National Archaeological Museum, Civitavecchia

Roman Theater

Terracina, Lazio

Terracina, located 56km southeast of Rome on the coast, is a site that has been continuously occupied since antiquity, its location giving it notable strategic importance as it commanded the surrounding lowlands and mountains. Its history -unfolding across the Roman, medieval, modern and contemporary periods – has bequeathed a rich cultural, historical and archaeological heritage.

Of particular interest is the Roman theater complex (1st century BC) on the Via Appia. This originally extended over an area of about 60×70 meters and was decorated with frescoes and precious marbles from all over the Mediterranean. The theater was rediscovered following bombing in WWII and partially excavated in the 1950s. On November 11, 2023 the newly restored seating area in the theater was unveiled to the public. However, more restoration work is needed to allow the theater to be permanently open to the public and used as a location for events in addition to a complete lighting system, which could incorporate special projection mapping. Once restored, the theater can accommodate up to 3000 spectators.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT: €2,500.000 ca.

PARTNERS: Superintendency responsible for the safeguarding of the Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape in the provinces of Frosinone and Latina & Municipality of Terracina.

Marine Mosaic

Ostia Antica Archaeological Park

MARINE MOSAIC

This black and white mosaic depicting sea scenes once occupied the entire floor area of a taberna on Via della Foce. This was located in an important area, not only a commercial crossroads but also a key position between the Forum, the mouth of the Tiber and Porta Marina.

Measuring 7.5 x 4 m approx., the mosaic incorporates decorative details of the four cardinal points and features surrounding a central marble basin. Scholars have unanimously dated it to the age of Commodus, with additional modifications in the third century AD.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT: €28.155

PARTNERS: Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica

Gladiator galleries

Amphitheater, Syracuse Archaeological Park, Sicily

GLADIATOR GALLERIES

The dimensions of this amphitheater – 140meters by 119meters – make it the the third largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. It was purpose built in 4C BC for gladiator games. Much of it was destroyed by the Spaniards in the 16th century when they used the stones to build the city walls of Ortigia. However, the gladiator galleries, a vaulted corridor used by the gladiators to enter the arena are still standing.

Today the amphitheater is closed to the public; funding would make the gladiator galleries accessible to the public, with the installation of a lighting system inside and outside the galleries.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT: on demand

PARTNERS: Archaeological Park of Syracuse

Sacred Shrines

City of Rome

Sacred Shrines

Sacred shrines are scattered around all corners of the city of Rome. They were usually placed on street corners, but can also be found on the walls of buildings or houses. While nowadays they depict images of the Virgin Mary or local saints, the origin of these shrines dates back to ancient Rome when they would feature protective gods. By placing them at a crossroads, all the roads connected to it were entrusted to the protection of those gods. With the advent of Christianity, these pagan deities were replaced with Christian iconography.

There are approximately 522 sacred shrines in Rome today, most of which date to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They were lit with gas lighting and provided the only night lighting in the city.

The picture features a fourteenth-century frescoed aedicula in Rione Campitelli, belonging to the Church of S. Biagio de Mercato. Located between the Vittoriano and the Ara Coeli staircase, it is part of the remains of an insula, a house of imperial Rome.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT: The costs for restoring the various aedicula in Rome range from €3,000 to €50,000. Please contact ciao@loveitaly.org to view the different options.

PARTNER: City of Rome

Medicinal Gardens

Certosa di San Giacomo, Capri

MEDICINAL GARDENS

The Certosa or Charterhouse on the island of Capri was founded in 1363 by Carthusian monks. The order was the first in the Middle Ages to cultivate medicinal plants which they used to treat those inside the monastery and the surrounding community suffering from various ailments.

Today, these ancient medicinal gardens are in disarray for lack of funding but could serve as a source of enrichment to the island community and tourists, helping everyone rediscover the importance of plants and herbs to modern day medical practices and pharmaceuticals.

There is potential to collaborate on this project with the world-renowned Royal Botanical Gardens of Naples, just across the Gulf.

A Medicinal Garden at the Certosa of Capri: a Mediterranean laboratory in the most likely of places.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT:

PARTNERS:

Sacred Shrines

Assisi, City of Peace

THE AEDICULAS OF ASSISI

The walls of the City of Assisi are studded with religious aediculae of all sizes. In ancient Roman religion, an aedicula (plural aediculae) is a small shrine, from the word aedes – a temple building or dwelling place. Typically, these niches held statues of the gods that protected the household or the neighbourhood. With the advent of Christianity, the Roman gods were replaced by the Virgin Mary and local saints. The proliferation of these “aedicules” in Assisi reflects the city’s millenary status as a pilgrimage center.

FUND THIS RESTORATION PROJECT: The costs for restoring the various aedicula in Assisi range from €3,000 to €50,000.

Please contact ciao@loveitaly.org to view the different options.

PARTNERS: City of Assisi