The municipal administration of Ploaghe has activated an important investment program thanks to two regional loans worth 400 thousand euros each , aimed at completing the acquisition of the birthplace of the Ploaghese canon Giovanni Spano.

The resources will allow the entire building to be recovered and the conservative restoration to be completed for the cultural use of the building , which presumably dates back to the end of the 17th century. The canon's house is a building on two levels, which over the years has been divided and subdivided into two distinct portions and overlooks Piazza Valverde, recently redeveloped, a few steps from the church of the same name. The aim is to recover and enhance the entire structure, improving its safety and appearance, making it accessible to the public.

The final idea is to create a larger museum complex involving the entire Birthplace and the public spaces of the Municipality , for the creation of an urban itinerary centered on the figure of the canon including the former convent of the Capuchin friars and the Spano art gallery.

The convent itself houses a multimedia and virtual exhibition on the life of Spano that will be opened to the public this spring. The mayor of Ploaghe Carlo Sotgiu does not hide his satisfaction with the results obtained : «Thanks to these 800 thousand euros we will finally be able to complete a project that began in 2018 with the acquisition of the first portion of the Spano house and the creation of a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life of the Canon, his works, his studies and his commitment above all as the father of Sardinian archaeology. The redevelopment of the building, in addition to its significant historical and cultural value, completes the redevelopment program of that part of the historic center that includes Piazza Valverde, the former orphanage (recently restored), and the Church of Valverde whose restoration will be contracted out in the coming weeks. Small pearls of a town rich in history».

Canon Spano was one of the main Sardinian intellectuals of the nineteenth century . Born in Ploaghe in 1803 and died in Cagliari on 3 April 1878, the canon was an archaeologist, linguist, ethnologist, university professor, rector and senator of the kingdom. During his research he put together a very rich collection of objects, the result of archaeological excavations and paintings that he donated to the museums of Cagliari and Sassari. He founded the "Bollettino archeologico sardo" and wrote the Sardinian-Italian dictionary. For these reasons, the municipal administration of Ploaghe has long since activated a series of activities aimed at valorizing his figure.

A portion of the original building was acquired in recent years and the first restoration phase was carried out.

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