CAOS Modern and Contemporary Art Museum "Aurelio de Felice" - Terni
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.
