Decay of Italian historic centers: from museum to open-air sewer

An analysis published on Artribune highlights the deterioration of Italian historic centers, pointing out the increase in petty crime and illegality in iconic cities such as Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples. The attack on deputy Borrelli in Naples has been identified as a sign of a declining Italy. In 2023, Florence ranks third for reported crimes (6,060 per 100,000 inhabitants), following Milan (7,116) and Rome (6,074). Although thefts nationwide decreased by 14.4% between 2018 and 2023, pickpocketing and snatch thefts remain constant in tourist areas (1% and 0.7% of the population). Overtourism exacerbates the situation: Venice has fewer than 50,000 residents compared to 175,000 in the 1970s, with 85,000 visitors per day and 30% of historic apartments converted into tourist rentals. Angelo Argento's article criticizes the rhetoric of 'valorization' and calls for a restoration of legality as the basis for safety, in addition to aesthetic decorum. Argento is a lawyer, professor of Cultural Heritage Legislation at the Brera Academy, and president of Cultura Italiae, an NGO affiliated with UNESCO.