Han Yangling-Pisa

    In the late 1990, more than 30 sunken boats dating back from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD were discovered in the suburbs of Pisa by the archaeologists, who paid a special attention to the transportation and protection of these boats. Later on, a temporary well-equipped laboratory was built to protect and carry out technological analyses on these organic remains.

    In March 2006, the first on-the-site underground museum, Han Yangling Underground Museum, equipped with advanced heritage protection technologies was opened to the public, deeply enriching the heritage protection and presentation contents of the already existing Han Yangling Museum. The museum adopts a special glass structure to separate the heritage and visitors in two specific areas with different temperature and hygrometry. Through this technical approach, heritage is displayed in the best environmental conditions and provides visitors with very good points of view to enjoy the site.

    In October 2007, Mr Carlo Avetta, the project’s author, proposed to the Pisa Municipality the idea of a network addressed to encourage a continuous dialogue between Chinese and European experts around common issues in heritage conservation and enhancement. Based on the exchange of experience and best practices about the case studies of the new Han Yangling Museum and the ancient Pisa ships workplace, this cooperation scheme was built in partnership between the Pisa Municipality, the Soprintendenza Archeologica per la Toscana, the Pisa University [IT], the Technische Universität München [DE], the Ename Center for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation and Culture Lab [BE], as well as various associated institutions, for Europe, and the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau, the Han Yangling Museum, the Museum of the Terracotta Army and the Xi'an Center for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, for China.

    The project was submitted to the European Commission in the framework of Culture 2007-2013, the EC programme supporting cultural cooperation within Europe and with third countries. For the year 2008, the Programme focused its special measure regarding third countries on the cooperation between cultural organisations from the EU and China, as well as India. The Han-Pisa project was selected for its outstanding cultural and scientific value, together with other 12 proposals, among more than 70 submissions.

    Granted the EU funding in the Spring 2008, the partnership started to implement its agenda in September 2008, after the signature of a cooperation agreement between China and Europe by Mrs Bianca Maria Storchi, the former Culture Councillor of the Pisa Municipality and her successor Mrs Silvia Panichi, and Mr Zhao Rong, the General Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau in Xi’an.

    The project’s work program has been divided into two main stages. Between October and December 2008, 15 experts from various EU countries travelled to Xi’an, China, in 3 groups. During 3 exchange seminars, they could share views and experience with the Chinese partners on heritage preservation in China and Europe as well as on the cultural and technical issues related with the preservation and presentation of archaeological findings – and more specifically the polychrome terracotta figures –  in the Han Yangling Museum.

    From the 13th to the 18th July 2009, a delegation composed by 6 Chinese experts came to Pisa in order to achieve the second stage of the cooperation. During various field visits, discussion seminars and the concluding conference, the Chinese and European experts had the opportunity to resume their concrete cooperation, concentrating this time on the ancient Pisa ships case study.