Museo per la Memoria di Ustica, Historical memorial museum in Bologna, Italy
The Museo per la Memoria di Ustica in Bologna's Bolognina district displays the partially reconstructed DC-9 of Itavia flight 870, which crashed near Ustica on 27 June 1980 with 81 people on board. The wreckage, over 2,000 parts, stands in the former ATC tram depot warehouse. Around it, Christian Boltanski's installation includes 81 pulsing lights and 81 mirrors; wooden boxes hold victims' personal objects, kept out of view.
On 27 June 1980 Itavia flight 870, a Douglas DC-9 flying from Bologna to Palermo, crashed in the Tyrrhenian Sea near the island of Ustica, killing all 81 people on board. The wreckage was recovered and partially reassembled in a military hangar near Rome for the investigation. The museum opened on 27 June 2007, after the victims' families association, led by Daria Bonfietti, obtained the transfer of the remains to Bologna.
The installation by French artist Christian Boltanski surrounds the aircraft remains with 81 black mirrors, pulsing lights, and recorded voices. This creates a space where visitors encounter a personal dimension of the tragedy, transforming debris into individual remembrance.
The museum is located in Bologna and welcomes visitors on select days throughout the week. It is advisable to check opening hours in advance before planning your visit, as these can vary seasonally.
The museum is named after Ustica island where the crash occurred, yet it stands thousands of kilometers away in Bologna. This geographical separation itself tells a story about how a tragedy becomes woven into places far beyond where it happened.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,585 contributors worldwide.
