Italian Archaeological Consortium in Jordan launched

AMMAN — Italian archaeologists and local officials on Sunday launched the “Italian Archaeological Consortium in Jordan” to highlight Italian projects operating at Jordanian sites.

The consortium was formed by Italian archaeological missions in Jordan and the Italian Higher Institute for Conservation and Restoration, with the support of the Italian embassy in Jordan and the Department of Antiquities, with funding from the Italian foreign ministry.

Italian Ambassador to Jordan Giovanni Brauzzi said the three concepts underpinning the mission are synergy, dialogue and partnership.

“Italian archaeologists [have been] here since the birth of modern Jordan… They are part of what I call the Italian legacy in Jordan,” he said.  

 “It is now time to acknowledge that this is a team game where you score goals only if you play as a team,” the ambassador said. 

“I am convinced that we can build together something promising, innovative and sustainable,” Braunzzi added.

 “We live here in an oasis of tranquillity, surrounded by crises, and what they call now the “histroycides”, the deliberate destruction of the ruins of past civilisations,” he added. 

The ambassador stressed the need to “go beyond the public dimension” by involving independent cultural institutions, civil society organisations and the private sector in work to conserve heritage.

The first progress report will be issued in October, he said.

For her part, Tourism Minister Lina Annab said the consortium is a “continuation of the excellent relations between Jordan and Italy”, especially in the archaeological field.

“Italy has been very active in Jordan since the 1920s, and many of the sites we celebrate today have been worked on extensively by Italian missions, whether the Citadel, Jerash, Petra, or newer discoveries like Batrawi or Um Rassas,” she added.

From the Higher Institute for Restoration and Conservation, supported by the Italian ministry of cultural heritage, Italian expert Giorgio Sobra said many archaeological sites have been restored as a result of cooperation between both countries. 

 “We have been working in Jordan [for] a long time, particularly in Qusair Amra Castle for the restoration project, and in other smaller but very interesting sites,” he said.

Other sites in Jordan restored by Italian missions include Mount Nebo, which was reopened to the public last October, and the UNESCO-protected site of Um Rassas, as well as Wadi Al Zarqa, Jabal Al Mutawwaq and Khirbet Al Batrawy.

“Jordan is one of the places where civilisation was born, [and] it is important for all the people and nations that have crossed [through] Jordan [over the] centuries,” Sobra told The Jordan Times.