The first national network uniting 26 institutions to promote the world's artistic heritage preserved in Italy. The president of the Xaverian Cultural Foundation, Father Enzo Oliviero Verzeletti, has been appointed to the prestigious network's board of directors.
The Museum of Chinese Art and Ethnography of the Xaverian Missionaries in Parma is among the founding museums of MIPAM – Italian Museums with World Heritage – the first national network uniting Italian museums committed to the conservation and promotion of collections from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. The aim is to promote intercultural dialogue, the sharing of best practices, and transparency in the management and care of this extraordinary heritage.
The president of the Xaverian Cultural Foundation, Father Enzo Oliviero Verzeletti, has been appointed to the new network's board of directors, along with the directors of other prestigious Italian institutions, including Marina Pugliese (director of MUDEC – Museum of Cultures, Milan), Davide Quadrio (director of MAO Museum of Oriental Art, Turin), Andrea Viliani (director of MUCIV – Museum of Civilizations, Rome), and Enrico Colle (director of the Stibbert Museum, Florence).
A centuries-old heritage at the service of intercultural dialogue
"Our Museum's participation in MIPAM represents recognition of the value of the collections we have preserved for over a century," stated Father Verzeletti. "Our collections, the fruit of the Xaverians' missionary work around the world, including Africa, Brazil, and Asia, today become a tool for dialogue and understanding between different cultures through this important national network."
The Museum of Chinese Art and Ethnography houses one of the most significant collections of Oriental art in Italy, with works primarily from China but also from other Asian, African, and South American countries, collected by Xaverian missionaries during their travels beginning in 1895.
MIPAM: a network to promote world heritage in Italy - The MIPAM network, officially established on June 10, 2025, at the Stibbert Museum in Florence, was born after four preparatory meetings held between 2023 and 2025 in Milan, Parma, Turin, and Florence, involving institutions from across Italy. The new network aims to be a point of reference for directors, curators, conservators, and archivists of state, municipal, university, missionary, and private institutions.
Italy is home to a significant number of non-European works and artifacts, which have been arriving in the country since the 15th century. Many of these collections are housed in institutions that, thanks to MIPAM, can now rely on a network of specialists and intermuseum collaborations.
The initiative, promoted by MUDEC in Milan, involves 26 founding institutions that are very diverse from each other in terms of their institutional, historical, and collection backgrounds—and which, in some cases, operate outside of traditional museum circuits—but which together share the mission of promoting research, increasing accessibility, and supporting the valorization of non-European collections and their complex cultural contexts of reference and provenance.
Now, these diverse institutions have a stable point of reference for developing collaborative projects, strengthening dialogue between the national and international levels, sharing common issues, and comparing best practices. The network is open to new members.
Projects and Future Opportunities - Joining MIPAM opens up new prospects for the Museum in Parma. The network will organize regular meetings and propose the development of joint projects such as exhibitions, publications, training activities, and public programs that enhance our shared tangible and intangible heritage.
"This collaboration will allow us to strengthen dialogue at a national and international level, share common issues, and compare our best practices with those of other prestigious institutions," concludes Father Verzeletti.
MIPAM raises a new awareness: that of a more connected, informed, and an Italian museum system ready for today's realities, addressing contemporary challenges related to history, ethics, and the preservation of global cultural heritage.
For Information and Visits, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Museum opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm. Sunday from 3 pm to 7 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Museum entrance: €5 (adults) €2 (under 18) which includes a visit to the permanent collection. Contact us at 0521-257.337.
Info: Museo d’Arte Cinese ed Etnografico, viale San Martino, 8 – 43123 Parma
Tel: 0521-257337 sito www.museocineseparma.org
