A Historical Perspective on the Border through New Museum Displays

The twinned municipalities of Romans d’Isonzo and Šempeter-Vrtojba collaborated to promote historical and cultural tourism on the occasion of GO! 2025, European Capital of Culture.
Romans d’Isonzo enhanced the Langobard necropolis through a new exhibition at the Civic Archaeological Museum of Romans, renewing and expanding its museum itinerary.
Šempeter-Vrtojba, located directly on the border, enhanced the heritage associated with the so-called “Iron Curtain” and the guard posts of the former Yugoslavia, with particular attention to the restoration and enhancement of a 1948 watchtower.
The project also included educational activities for students, promoting awareness and appreciation of the cross-border historical and cultural heritage.
The project “THE GAZE OF HISTORY ALONG THE BORDER” aimed to protect and promote the cross-border historical heritage through the creation of two new museum exhibitions, the restoration and enhancement of a historic border site, and educational and dissemination activities.

The Civic Archaeological Museum of Romans (CMAR, established in 2015), after ten years of activity, has found a new and permanent home within the Casa Candussi Pasiani cultural centre, together with a completely renewed exhibition layout.
The exhibits on display are the objects brought back to light by the discovery of the Langobard necropolis of Romans: the warriors’ weapons, the precious grave goods of high-ranking women, as well as those found in a particularly significant child burial, which has become a symbol of the museum under the fictional name Adelinda, the Langobard girl.
Alongside the valuable museum collection, the visitor itinerary offers a completely new feature: multimedia tables presenting the history of the Langobards and the Romans necropolis, interactive screens allowing visitors to engage with historical figures, three-dimensional holographic images of special artefacts, and videos exploring the history and presence of the Langobards in the area.
The CMAR offers content that is fully accessible to people with different forms of disability and is available in several languages (Italian, English and Slovenian, with a Friulian version also planned).
It is a new and engaging way of discovering history, combining archaeological discoveries with technology as an integral part of the cultural and tourism development of the area.

Renovated Watchtower in Vrtojba
As part of the project, the Municipality of Šempeter-Vrtojba renovated the former watchtower located in the Vrtojba plain. The aim of the project was to preserve and enhance an important element of the local cultural and historical heritage, making it more accessible to visitors. The renovated tower provides a new place to stop and discover the history of the area, particularly for cyclists, as it is located directly along a popular cycle route connecting the Soča Valley with the Karst and the Vipava Valley with Friuli.
The watchtower will host a renewed exhibition on life along the border and on the people who crossed it. Ethnologist and curator Rok Bavčar of the Goriški Museum is preparing an exhibition that will offer visitors a broad overview of events following 1947. Testimonies from local residents, accounts of interactions with soldiers, as well as exhibited objects and archival materials, will allow visitors to gain a closer insight into the history of this area.