Italian support

(Click on the links to read the statements)

The Italian Embassy in Norway

The embassy is situated in Oslo, the capital of Norway, and is involved in political, economic, cultural and scientific cooperation. The embassy finds the museum project well worth attention and support. Both because it will document the Italian activities in the Arctic, both traditional and current, as well as contribute to draw attention towards the Polar Regions. The Ambassador is whishing the initiative success and is looking forward to concrete opportunities of cooperation.

Società Geografica Italiana, Rome, Italy

The Italian Geographic Society supports the project and finds it interesting that the Italian history in the Arctic becomes documented in Svalbard.

Maria Nobile Schettino, Italy

The daughter of Umberto Nobile. Believes the realization of Spitsbergen Airship Museum is very positive and necessary. Leaves to Spitsbergen Airship Museum’s disposal an unnumbered amount of letters and documents. She will arrive in Svalbard to open the Museum in 2008.

Umberto Schettino Nobile, Italy

Umberto Nobile’s grandson. He is very supportive and positive to the realization of Spitsbergen Airship Museum. He has an extensive collection of artifacts and documents, as well as a network of contacts. Whishes to be involved in the projects work. He is a teacher by profession, and would like to start an exchange work with the school in Longyearbyen.

Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento, Italy

The National Italian Museum of Natural Sciences. They are soon to move into new localities (12 000 m²), projected by the architect Renzo Piano. The Museum offers to contribute with competence and professional services. In relation to IPY they are the fall 2007 to exhibit a traveling exhibition about the Arctic and the Antarctic. Many artifacts and copies, models etc shall later be donated to the Spitsbergen Airship Museum. The Museum also keeps a copy of “the red tent”

Museo Caproni, Trento, Italy

The Museum is situated in Trento, and is in close collaboration with Museo Tridentino. Contessa Caproni Built the museum to commemorate and honor her father, the leading constructor of small planes and war planes during the first 35 years of the XXth century. The Museum keeps several artifacts, letters and models related to Nobile’s expeditions.

Museo Umberto Nobile, Municipality of Lauro, Italy

The museum in the home county of Nobile. A part of the Museum is in Nobile’s childhood home. There is a collection consisting of, among other things, the log book of “Norge”, medals, letters and equipment used during the expeditions to the pole.

Museo Polare Etnografico, Silvio Zavatti, Fermo, Italy

The Italian Polar Museum. Whishes a close collaboration with Spitsbergen Airship Museum, and contributes with competence, the building of landscape models, information and access to artifacts in the Museum’s belonging from the airship expeditions.

Istituto Nazionale Della Montagna, Rome, Italy

The national institute for Mountains. The institute occupies with science, culture, environment and knowledge regarding mountains and mountain systems, and is advisory body nationally, regionally and locally. The institute is very positive to the project Spitsbergen Airship Museum and whishes to collaborate especially in connection to IPY and environmental work. The institute whishes to contribute with access to achieves with unpublished manuscripts and documents.

“Il Polo”, Istituto Geografico Polare, Fermo, Italy

Magazine made and published by the Polar Museum Silvio Zavatti. 4 editions a year. Whishes a close collaboration with regular information from Svalbard that is to be published in each edition of “Il Polo”.

Associazione Nazionale Alpini (ANA) , Milan, Italy

The largest military corps ever in Italy, counting 450 000 active members. The ANA holds numerous artifacts from the alpine troops participating in the rescue operations at Nordaustlandet in 1928, as well as many the diaries of many of the ANA participants in Svalbard in 1928. The organization is very positive to the project Spitsbergen Airship Museum.

Associazione Dirigibili Archimede, Italy

A non-profit organization with the purpose to impart airship history, position today and future use. In relation to the Spitsbergen Airship Museum they offer consulting, models of airships and technical details.

Fondazione IDIS-Città della Scienza, Naples, Italy

A science center, the first interactive museum in Italy. The Museum whishes to contribute with professional competence in respect to media, networks, video etc

Municipality of Foresto Sparso, Bergamo, Italy

The home county of Captain Gennaro Sora, leader of the alpine troops participating in the search and rescue operations at Nordaustlandet in 1928. The county whishes to collaborate with the Spitsbergen Airship Museum regarding education and information in Italy.

Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare, Vigna di Valle, Italy

The former aviation fabric of the Italian ministry of aviation, now transformed into the Italian National Aviation Museum. Nobile worked at the fabric for many years, and his private archive is still kept there. The museum keeps a copy of the gondola and several artifacts used during the expeditions of “Norge” and “Italia”.

Museo della Scienza e della Tecnica "Leonardo da Vinci", Milan, Italy

The Italian museum of science and technology. The Museum had an exhibition in relation to the 75 years jubilee after the “Italia” expedition and keeps the original “red tent” used on the pack ice in 1928. The Museum also keeps a collection of the scientific instruments used during the expeditions with “Norge” and “Italia”. The Museum will contribute with their competence, and will arrange a press conference/open day in Milan during the spring 2007, as a presentation of the Spitsbergen Airship Museum.

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Rome, Italy

The Italian Research Council. The CNR has established the Italian research station “Dirigibile Italia” in Ny Ålesund, is a member of the NySMAC and runs the scientific project in Antarctica at the “Mario Zucchelli” station, at the Terra Nova Bay. The CNR is very influential in Italy and whishes to arrange a press conference/open day in Roma the spring 2007 as a presentation of the Spitsbergen Airship Museum.

Associazione Circolo Polare, Milan, Italy

Association that impart information regarding, the cultures, history and nature in the Polar Regions. The association is situated in the city center of Milan. The association has about 10 000 members and arranges seminars exhibitions and conferences related to the Polar Regions.

Ovidio Ferrante

The leading expert and historian regarding Umberto Nobile and his work. Has worked with Umberto Nobile. Former director of Museo Storico dell’Aeronautica Militare, Vigna di Valle. Has an incredible expertise and competence in addition to documents and artifacts of incomparable interest. He has built a reconstruction of the “Norge” gondola in the scale 1:1. Keeps the original drawings of the gondola and the hangar built in Ny Ålesund. Leaves to the Spitsbergen Airship Museum’s disposal his expertise, competence and interest.

Redazione Super Quark (Rai TV), Rome, Italy

The most important TV program in the history of Rai, with app. 9.000.000 spectators each episode. The editors keep numerous old films and video clips shot from both the “Norge” and the Italia”. In 2002 the Super Quark made a modern program (4 hours long) about the expeditions of the “Italia” and leaves this to the disposal of the Spitsbergen Airship Museum to copy/translate/cut.

Associazione Culturale Giacomo Bove

The Cultural Association Giacomo Bove & Maranzana is founded by the great-granddaughter of the explorer and other associates with purpose of cultural promotion, communication, research and study. The association performs all the activities necessary to the implementations of its goals. It manages the museum located in Maranzana, in the house that is the birthplace of the explorer.