Centro Pecci pays €100,000 to Cristiana Perrella to drop labor lawsuit

The Centro Pecci in Prato has agreed to pay former director Cristiana Perrella €100,000 to settle her labor lawsuit and withdraw a defamation complaint against president Lorenzo Bini Smaghi and Stefano Pezzato. The settlement, reached on June 6, 2023, before the Prato court, will be paid in five installments starting June 30, 2023. Perrella was fired in October 2021 with unclear reasons. The museum, owned by the municipality but managed by a foundation chaired by Bini Smaghi since 2019, faces financial difficulties, low attendance, and had laid off two employees in August 2023 due to budget problems. Legal costs for the museum totaled €20,000. The settlement details were disclosed after Lega councilor Marco Curcio insisted on viewing foundation records. Curcio has called for Bini Smaghi's resignation, accusing him of misleading the council about the dispute's status. Meanwhile, the two laid-off workers have been reinstated following union action, with the Tuscany Region increasing its financial support.