Presentation of Archaeological Remains, Celje (Slovenia)
Presentation of Archaeological Remains, Celje (Slovenia) by the Municipality of Celje with additional funding from the Ministry of Culture (Europa Nostra Award 2019)
Maintenance work on utility lines and the renovation of the public area of the city of Celje in 2013 and 2014, led to preliminary archaeological excavations revealing part of a mediaeval cellar and part of a late Roman building. The regional unit of the Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage (IPCHS) in Celje developed a study for the expansion of the archaeological survey of these remains, putting forward a proposal for exhibiting them in situ. Excavations, managed by the Celje Regional Museum, led to the discovery of two mosaics within the building dating from antiquity: one in black-and-white and the other all in black. The corresponding walls, with a central heating system of a representative building, in which contemporary frescoes were still preserved, were also discovered. The conservation and restoration of all archaeological remains were conducted by the Conservation Centre of IPCHS in collaboration with Celje Regional Museum. A well-designed pavilion to present these remains to the public was constructed, accompanied by an exhibition prepared by the Celje Regional Museum. According to the jury, this is a good example of the conservation and sharing of archaeological remains in situ in an urban context, a challenge frequent throughout Europe. The design of the pavilion – a smart, unobtrusive structure – is harmoniously integrated into the existing street-front, maintaining its continuity.
Brief analysis of the case:
The intervention in this urban archaeological excavation has involved, on the one hand, actions to consolidate the archaeological remains with traditional materials that are compatible with the existing ones and, secondly, a wide-ranging action of protection, musealisation and interpretation of the remains themselves. The protection of the remains has been carried out with a new building that is inserted into the urban fabric, distinguishing it from the adjacent buildings and inviting the visitor to approach the archaeological remains. The musealisation has been carried out with multiple traditional and digital tools that allow visitors to interpret the archaeological remains.