Voices from the Lake: Roman Ships and the Museum of Nemi

On Friday, March 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., in the Spadolini Hall at the Ministry of Culture’s headquarters in Rome, located at Via del Collegio Romano 27, there will be a presentation of *Voci dal lago*, the podcast dedicated to the Roman ships of Nemi and the museum that preserves their memory.

This event marks a significant shift in how cultural heritage is presented: from preservation to storytelling, from research to experience. The project, sponsored by the Lazio Regional Directorate of National Museums of the Ministry of Culture, brings to life one of the most fascinating and complex stories in Italian archaeology through an accessible, immersive, and contemporary approach.

During the event, the podcast will be presented, and attendees will have the opportunity to hear a preview of the first episode, delving into the heart of a story that spans the centuries: from the monumental ships commissioned by Emperor Caligula—true masterpieces of engineering and refinement—to their destruction during World War II, which has come to symbolize the vulnerability of cultural heritage.

Speakers will include Elisabetta Scungio, Director of the Lazio Regional Directorate of National Museums; Daniela De Angelis, Director of the Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi; Lorenzo Mantovani, Head of the Regional Directorate’s Educational Services Office; and Gian Marco D’Eusebi (@Azzykky), a content creator who helps bring heritage to life using language that resonates with younger generations.

The podcast, available for free on the Loquis platform, was created with the aim of reviving the memory of the Nemi ships as a shared European heritage, combining historical research, personal accounts, and digital tools to reach an ever-wider audience.

“With ‘Voices from the Lake’—says Elisabetta Scungio, Director of the Lazio Museums Division at the MIC—we are reinforcing a vision of culture as a living experience, capable of forging connections between the past and the present. The podcast allows us to reach new audiences, particularly younger people, and to build a deeper relationship between museums, the local area, and the European dimension of heritage.”

The initiative, co-funded by the Council of Europe and the European Union as part of European Heritage Days, serves as a concrete example of how innovation, research, and communication can come together to make cultural heritage increasingly accessible, inclusive, and engaging.