The International Exhibition Cucuteni -Trypillia: A Great Civilization of Old Europe

Rome, Vatican, 16 September - 31 October 2008

The Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs of Romania, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine, having as special guest the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Moldova, organizes in Vatican, at the Palazzo della Cancelleria, during the period 16 September - 31 October 2008, the collective exhibition presenting the Cucuteni-Trypillia Civilization (Cucuteni-Trypillia, A Great Civilization of Old Europe, V-III millennia BC). The event has been organized within the National Program for the Promotion of the Cucuteni Eneolithic Culture, the year 2008, being also declared the Cucuteni year within Romania. The initiative of the organization of this exhibition is a world premiere, taking into account the wide area the heritage items come from, but also from the perspective of its diversity and complexity. Partners to the project are museums, education and research institutions throughout Romania – “Moldova” National Museum Complex of Iasi, “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iasi– Faculty of History, Interdisciplinary Centre of Archeohistorical Studies, “Bucovina” Museum Complex of Suceava, County Museum of Botosani, County Museum Complex of Neamt, ”Iulian Antonescu” Museum Complex of Bacau,  "Stephen the Great” County Museum of Vaslui, "Cucuteni pentru Mileniul III" Foundation, as well as external participants, from the Republic of Moldova -  the National History and Archeology Museum of Chisinau, the Cultural Heritage Institute within the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova, and from Ucraine –”Pecherskaya Lavra” Cultural-Historical Preserve of Kiev, PLATAR National Cultural Heritage Museum, "D.I. Yavornitsky” History Museum in Dniepropetrovsk, “Kamjana Mohyla" Cultural-Historical Preserve.

The exhibition shall be accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue in Italian and English, and shall display approximately five hundred items of the Cucuteni – Trypillia heritage, many of them being classified as treasure items. Apart from traditional display methods, the exhibition organized within the Palazzo della Cancelleria also uses the interactive techniques, attractive both for the specialists and for the general public.

The opening ceremony shall take place in Rome – Vatican, Palazzo della Cancelleria, on Tuesday 16 September 2008, 18:00 hours.