Italy formalizes art therapy in healthcare with ministerial protocol
On April 1, 2026, a protocol was signed by Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Health Minister Orazio Schillaci, which acknowledges museums, libraries, and archives as key players in therapeutic processes, such as museotherapy and art therapy. This agreement creates a collaborative scientific committee and encourages research and educational initiatives. Key participants include Policlinico Universitario Fondazione Agostino Gemelli, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, and the Art4ART project with MAXXI. Additionally, CoopCulture and Fondazione Ospedale Isola Tiberina entered a 12-month agreement for immersive digital experiences. Research, including the MINERVA study, indicated notable decreases in psychological distress, while the ASBA project found a 25% decline in anxiety linked to museum mindfulness activities. In Naples, girls with anorexia engaged in museum workshops, and cultural sites in Turin provided free admission for children undergoing cancer treatment.
Key facts
- Protocol signed April 1, 2026 between Italian Ministers of Culture and Health
- Recognizes museums, libraries, archives as actors in therapeutic pathways
- Establishes joint scientific committee and promotes research and training
- CoopCulture and Gemelli Isola protocol active at Rome hospital since January 2026
- MINERVA study (2024) showed psychological distress drop from 67% to 56%
- ASBA project found 25% reduction in anxiety/stress from museum mindfulness
- European Commission cited MINERVA as Italy's only good practice in 'Culture and Health'
- Turin museums collaborate with UGI for children in oncology care
Entities
Institutions
- Ministero della Cultura
- Ministero della Salute
- Policlinico Universitario Fondazione Agostino Gemelli
- ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda
- MAXXI
- CoopCulture
- Fondazione Ospedale Isola Tiberina – Gemelli Isola ETS
- Ospedale Isola Tiberina – Gemelli Isola
- Palazzo Maffei
- Centro OMS per la ricerca in Salute Mentale dell’Università di Verona
- Università di Verona
- Commissione Europea
- Università di Milano-Bicocca
- Università degli Studi di Milano (Statale)
- Università Suor Orsola Benincasa
- Gallerie d’Italia di Intesa Sanpaolo
- Museo Egizio
- GAM (Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Torino)
- Castello di Rivoli
- UGI (Unione Genitori Italiani contro il cancro dei bambini)
- Ospedale Regina Margherita di Torino
Locations
- Italy
- Rome
- Milan
- Verona
- Naples
- Turin
- Lazio
- Terme di Caracalla
- Galleria Corsini
- Case romane del Celio
- Palazzo Merulana
- Gallerie Nazionali (mostra Bernini e i Barberini)
- Scavi di Ostia Antica
- Pantheon
- Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
- Palazzo Barberini
- Passetto di Borgo
- Museo delle Navi di Fiumicino
- Castello di Giulio II
- Ghetto ebraico