CAOS Modern and Contemporary Art Museum "Aurelio de Felice" - Terni
The Museo D'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea "Aurelio De Felice" – CAOS, Centro Arti Opificio SIRI premises were restructured by Terni Municipality to house art collections and exhibitions in the reused space of the former SIRI factory
The Museo D'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea "Aurelio De Felice" – CAOS, Centro Arti Opificio SIRI premises were restructured by Terni Municipality to house art collections and exhibitions in the reused space of the former SIRI factory The first industrial settling in the area was an old Papal Ironwork factory—the Ferriera Pontificia—built in 1793 as per the Apostolic Chamber disposition. At the time of the process of the unification of Italy—1860s—this plant was still the largest factory in Umbria, covering 12,000 square meters and with a labor force of about 200. Closed down in 1905, its premises, consisting of several buildings—warehouses, offices, mineral depots and the housing of the personnel—were reused in 1919 for metalwork and chemical manufacturing production destined prevalently for the armament industry. In 1925, with the guiding ideas of Luigi Casale, and after a series of changes and corporate acquisitions—like IDROS and SISAS, acronym for Società Italiana per l'Ammoniaca Sintetica (Italian Synthetic Ammonia Company)—the enterprise was transformed into SIRI, acronym for Società Italiana Ricerche Industriali (Italian Industrial Research Company). The main activity of this enterprise was the production of synthetic ammonia and other chemical products. Starting in the 1930s, SIRI concentrated primarily on research, abandoning large production. The activity carried on without interruption until the 1970s, with a progressive slowing down of production until its definitive closure in 1983. Today, the site hosts works of art dating from the 15th to the 19th century, in the new Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which is set up with innovative criteria.
They had preivously been exhibited in the "Omeore Metelli" Municipal Gallery, housed in Palazzo Gazzoli. Among these, the ones of the Italian Renaissance Masters like Piermateo d'Amelia and Benozzo Gozzoli or of local artists like Niccolò Alunno, Giovanni di Pietro, known as Lo Spagna, and Pompeo Cocchi come to the fore. Collections of works such as the Naive paintings of Orneore Metelli or the sculptures of Aurelio De Felice also have their space in the museum. Visitors can also view works of graphic art by artists like Chagall, Mirò, Leger and Kandinsky. Much space is dedicated to contemporary works of art of artists such as Turcato, Mastroianni, Pomodoro, Severini, Montanarini, Minucchi, Passalacqua, Chung Eun Mo and others. The entire property was acquired bit by bit from 1997 to 2002 by the Municipality of Terni. Together with the preservation of the access alley and central court, the whole pre-existing complex was recovered and reused for Cultural and Recreational Services, while the entire first floor returned to being living quarters. Accessibility For those arriving by car, there is some parking reserved for the disabled are located along Via Giandimartalo Di Vitalone, otherwise it’s possible to use the covered car park of the COOP supermarket, which has an exit directly into the CAOS complex. Alternatively, by prior arrangement, it’s possible to drive in from the park’s entrance on the corner between Viale Luigi Campofregoso and Via Giandimartalo Di Vitalone, on the roundabout. Here, within the CAOS space, you can park the car near the ticket office entrance for the duration of the visit. The facility can also be reached with the public transportation: the nearest bus stops are located along Viale L. Campofregoso and Via G. Di Vitalone. The building interior is entirely accessible to people with motor difficulties or in a wheelchair, but the entrance of the Museum’s ticket office has a small double step that could create some problems. Guide dogs are allowed to enter. There are not audio guides nor is there information in braille or other tactile media. Information Viale Campofregoso 05100 - Terni (TR) email: info@caos.museum sito web: www.caos.museum Fonte Regione Umbria - Servizio Musei e soprintendenza ai beni librari