EU cuts €51M in cultural funding to Italy over mismanagement

The European Union has withdrawn €51 million in cultural and tourism funding from Italy due to poor management of applications and documentation, according to an investigation by The Art Newspaper. The funding cuts primarily affect the southern regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily, while other Italian regions like Lombardy, Tuscany, and Puglia remain compliant with EU standards. The report highlights severe inadequacies in funding requests from Sicilian cultural offices between 2007 and 2013, including poorly written proposals, late submissions, and incorrect email addresses. Notable rejections include a €2.4 million request from the Museo Archeologico di Aidone in Sicily due to incomplete documents and lack of a financial framework, and a €2 million request for restoration of the Greek ruins of Eraclea Minoa, which was sent to the wrong email address and had formal deficiencies. A €10 million request for restoration of a Swabian castle in Augusta was also rejected due to bureaucratic errors. In Naples, €100 million in EU funds allocated to the UNESCO-listed historic center remain unspent, with only 8 of 28 projects completed by the 2015 deadline. The situation is compounded by ongoing investigations into Sicilian governor Rosario Crocetta and his predecessor Raffaele Lombardo, along with several officials, for neglecting cultural heritage.