"Il Futuro Ha un Cuore Antico." Archaeology in Italy: A Brief Outline of a Long History

Italy is one of the most important regions in terms of classical archaeology. Both because of its significant remains and thanks to its important scholars, archaeology in Italy is everywhere. The present work offers a brief summary of the history and development of the discipline in Italy and outlines the main features of the Italian world of classical archaeology, briefly synthesizing aspects concerning excavations, institutions, laws, museums and academies, universities and research centers, and associations, and the way this whole world affects the wider audience. It discusses present issues and future challenges of the Italian Archaeological Heritage agenda, which mostly relates to three themes-keywords: Ricerca, Tutela, Valorizzazione (Research, Long-term Protection and Conservation, and Communication and Public Access).