Eike Schmidt loses Florence mayoral race, faces uncertain future at Capodimonte

Eike Schmidt, the German art historian who left his post as director of the Uffizi in 2023 to lead the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples, lost the Florence mayoral election on June 23-24, 2024, as a center-right candidate. He garnered under 40% of the vote in the runoff against center-left candidate Sara Funaro, who won over 60%. Schmidt had taken a leave of absence from Capodimonte just months after his appointment in January 2024, sparking criticism from Naples governor Vincenzo De Luca, who called it "offensive" for Schmidt to use the museum as a fallback. Schmidt now says he will lead the opposition in Florence's city council. Meanwhile, rumors suggest Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano may offer Schmidt a directorship of one of four new mega-departments at the Ministry of Culture. The directorship of the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, left vacant after Cecile Hollberg's term ended, is also up for grabs via a public tender. Schmidt's political ambitions have raised questions about the future direction of Capodimonte, which lost months of strategic planning during his absence.