The World Health Organization (WHO) Center for Mental Health Research at the University of Verona and Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo have launched the MINERVA project, aimed at exploring the positive effects of museum experiences on psychological well-being. This scientific project, which will begin on May 27th, aims to evaluate how artistic engagement can influence individuals’ mental health.
Under the acronym Museum, Innovation, Neuroscience: Reactive Effects and Psychic Reactions to Artistic Value, the MINERVA project aims to determine if museum visits can promote well-being and have a therapeutic function. The research has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Verona and involves free guided tours at Palazzo Maffei to collect empirical data.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers psychological well-being a fundamental component of individual health. In recent years, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in anxiety and depressive disorders. In Italy, the use of psychotropic drugs in 2022 involved approximately eight and a half million people between the ages of 18 and 84.
The MINERVA project is a collaboration between Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo and the WHO Center for Mental Health Research at the University of Verona. The goal is to create a cultural pathway within the museum to evaluate the impact of artistic experiences on participants’ psychological well-being. The project will be conducted by specialist doctors, cultural operators, and art historians.
The pilot phase of the project will include three meetings:
1. Ancient and Contemporary – A Continuous Dialogue (May 27th)
2. Hidden Science in Art (June 3rd)
3. Art and Psychological Well-being – A Connection with the Artworks (June 10th)
The Palazzo Maffei Collection presents a dual soul thanks to the private collection that has grown without chronological or gender limits. The first meeting welcomes participants on a kaleidoscopic journey between ancient and contemporary art.
This pathway reveals the close connection between scientific reality and artistic aesthetics through the exhibited artworks.
The last meeting explores how art can transmit deep stimuli favorable to psychological well-being.
Participation in the meetings is free upon registration via email to giulia.turrini@univr.it. Participants will complete standardized questionnaires to assess their psychological states before and after the visits.
The first results are expected to be available by the end of June/early July.
Italian Version
