The Museo dell’Aquila Reale (MusAQ) is a small-scale cultural institution located in the Aniene Valley (Lazio, Italy) that operates as a platform for artistic research, environmental awareness and community engagement. The museum promotes interdisciplinary practices that connect contemporary art, ecological knowledge and local participation, with a particular focus on landscape, biodiversity and water systems.

Through exhibitions, artistic residencies, workshops and public programmes, MusAQ encourages collaboration between artists, researchers, environmental practitioners and local communities, fostering new forms of dialogue between art and science. Many of these initiatives are developed in relation to the Aniene River basin, using the river and its surrounding ecosystems as a context for artistic investigation, environmental education and collective reflection on water stewardship.

The museum’s research and public programmes also extend to other important water bodies and ecosystems of the region, including those located within the Parco Naturale dei Monti Lucretili, the Parco Naturale Regionale dei Monti Simbruini, and the Acque Albule area in Tivoli, exploring the ecological, geological and cultural dimensions of these environments through artistic research and place-based learning.

MusAQ is an active member of the Contratto di Fiume dell’Aniene, a participatory governance platform dedicated to the protection and sustainable management of the river basin. Within this framework, the museum is responsible for two transversal actions focused on cultural mediation, environmental awareness and citizen participation, promoting the role of art and culture in strengthening water literacy and community involvement in river conservation.

Through collaborations with schools, local institutions, environmental organisations and researchers, MusAQ develops programmes that combine artistic practice, citizen science, environmental monitoring and community participation, contributing to a broader public understanding of freshwater ecosystems and supporting the protection and restoration of river environments in the region.

Website: https://laquilarealelicenza.org/museo-dellaquila-reale