Franco Minissi e il progetto dell’antiquarium di Himera a Termini Imerese (1963-1984): memoria storica e coscienza moderna

The contribution describes the genesis of the project to enhance the archaeological area of ancient Himera and the construction of the antiquarium which begun in the early 1960s to a design by Franco Minissi. The antiquarium, built along the slope of the mountain, is characterised by a system of sloping terraces that follow the natural progression of the terrain, blending built architecture and natural scenery without any pretence. At the same time, the system of sloping terraces defines the internal museographic itinerary built around a continuous and unified system of ramps, a true architectural promenade, which articulate the space and organise the exhibition: “Double-height rooms and internal overlooks vary and enliven the visit itinerary; the void itself becomes an ‘exhibition machine’; its flow seeks to capture the attention of the visitors and draw them in. Diversified sequences, through a shrewd architectural as well as museographic design, where the exhibits are made to interact with the environment that contains them”.