COMMODITY SCIENCE MUSEUM, UNIVERSITY OF ROME “LA SAPIENZA”: A PROJECT FOR THE PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

The study of these sectors requires a knowledge of the raw materials which, through manufacturing processes, are transformed into the final product. The Museum of Commodity Science will support the reassment of the importance attached to collecting materials as well as manufactured products. These should be viewed not only as a cultural asset of scientific interest, but also as both the input and output of productive processes. The collections of the Museum of Commodity Science tell the story of raw materials and production processes as they overlap and become intertwined with the history of business enterprises. As such, they also endow the museum with a strong communicative potential. The effectiveness of a message increases when the areas of cultural interest and direct experience of those involved in the process of communication intersect, offering a positive image of a business to the viewer, thanks, in particular, to improved scientific understanding. This in turn supports more ‘natural’ learning and conprehension processes. The source of the message, i.e. the team formed by the university and the firms taking part in the project, meets the necessary requirements of credibility and professionalism.