The Museum of Memory and Welcome
Located in Santa Maria al Bagno, Italy, the Museum of Memory and Welcome commemorates the period between 1944 and 1947 when Allied displacement camps in the area became a refuge for Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. Housed in a former school building and designed by architect Luca Zevi, the museum celebrates the remarkable solidarity between local residents and refugees.
The city of Nardó had been recognized some years before for its role in welcoming refugees during this period and awarded the Gold Medal for Civil Merit by the President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. The establishment of the museum was a logical next step. The museum is owned by the municipality and was established thanks to the efforts of APME – Associazione Pro Murales Ebraici, which has been actively promoting and recovering memories of that period since the 1980s.
The museum showcases artifacts, photographs, and murals ,and offers a powerful testament to resilience and integration. Visitors can explore both the permanent and rotating exhibitions. The museum organizes educational programs for schools as well as a series of cultural events, making it a vibrant center of learning, culture, and remembrance.