Promote social and cultural inclusion through heritage. Innovative experiences at Palazzo Barberini

This contribution aims at presenting the first results of the educa- tional experiences carried out at Palazzo Barberini as part of the in- terdepartmental project Inclusive Memory, Roma Tre University. The exclusion of many categories of visitors from places of culture, due to economic and social factors, as well as social inequality, affects demo- cratic access to knowledge and skills which are developed through the use of artistic heritage. Gaining access to this cultural treasure increases the levels of well-being in society and therefore should not be an ex- clusive pursuit. The experimental activity we introduce here foresaw the participation of four classes from a Secondary school in the city of Rome. Students were invited to take part in museum teaching modules carried out at the Gallery of Ancient Art - Palazzo Barberini. The edu- cational proposals, developed by the Centre for Museum Studies at the University of Rome Tre, allowed various groups of students to explore cultural heritage instances. Many of the activities were aimed particular- ly at including individuals with physical and mental disabilities and with specific learning difficulties. We encouraged them to visit the selected museum for the first time in order to increase their well-being levels, which we assessed before and after activities, using tools designed for this purpose as outlined in previous research (Thomson & Chatterjee, 2016; Poce & Re, 2019).