The Rocca di Papa (Italy) INGV Geoscience Museum: the last four years of activities

The Geoscience Museum of Rocca di Papa (MuGeos), Italy, promotes science communication and education on behalf of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV). The Museum is located at the centre of Alban Hills volcanic district, a dormant volcano whose last eruptive activity, an hydromagmatic phase, is dated about 20 ky ago. During the last four years the MuGeos has carried out activities dedicated to generic non expert public also joined with the municipality of Rocca di Papa, and to schools from Primary to Secondary.  All these activities belong to the so called Third Mission of INGV that consists of the diffusion of scientific knowledge. The education activity has been focused on the involvement of a significant number of schools coming from the surrounding territory but also from distant regions. The activity with students has consisted of an interactive and attractive guided tour through the knowledge of the Earth system (i.e. space weather, geomagnetism, seismology and volcanology, climate change), the Alban Hills Volcano, its origin hazard and peculiarities.  Moreover, the Museum has been involved in the Science Together Net project cofunded by the European Union through the organization of the European Researcher Night. In this context we have proposed activities involving kids, children and adults such as geotrekking on Alban hill volcano, seminars, labs of explosive and effusive volcanoes, paper volcanoes (origami) and fairy tales on geological myths, guided tours of the Museum, stars and planets observation through a telescope. The above mentioned activities have been proposed also during the Museum opening of every second Sunday of the month.  Further several activities dedicated to generic public have been promoted together with Rocca di Papa municipality in occasion of local events such as the October Chestnut Festival, the World Moon Day, the World Horse Festival, the Marconian Day Recurrence etc. During these popular events the MuGeos has been a fundamental actor in the awareness of citizens towards natural hazard and risks related to the territory.  Feedbacks of all the MuGeos activities are extremely positive; same teachers keep coming to the Museum every scholastic year, many positive public review on Google platform, satisfaction questionnaire.