Peter Andreas Munch was a Norwegian historian, known for his academic contributions to the medieval history of Norway. Munch was one of the first non-catholics to be granted access to Archivium Secretum Vaticanum, and published extensively based on the resources he found there. Munch died in Rome on 25 May 1863, only 52 years old. The Norwegian Institute in Rome arranges an annual lecture every Spring in his honour.
The Norwegian embassy in Rome and The Norwegian institute in Rome collaborates to offer Norwegians a meeting point on their national day, and every year (normally at 11 o'clock) the ambassador lays down a wreath at the foot of the tombstone of P.A. Munch, The director of the Institute gives a speech, a so-called 17th-of-May-speech, singing of the national anthem, and followed by ice-cream and prosecco in Testaccio.
This year's speech by Prof. Kristin B. Aavitsland in available online in Norwegian : 17. mai tale 2024
Rome's Non-Catholic Cemetery is called Cimitero acattolico di Roma in Italian. It is located in Testaccio, next to the pyramid of Cestius. It is the final resting-place of many artists, scholars and diplomats, and contains well-known names such as Antonio Gramsci, Axel Munthe, John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley.