Gallerie d'Italia: A Model for the Museum of the Future

Eighteen months after opening in Turin's Palazzo Turinetti and relocating its Naples branch to the former Banco di Napoli building on Via Toledo, Gallerie d'Italia—Intesa Sanpaolo's museum network—has hosted a roundtable to assess its progress and define a modern museum model centered on the public. Both venues, designed by architect Michele De Lucchi, function as open squares for their cities. The roundtable, titled "L'evoluzione degli spazi espositivi nella contemporaneità" and led by Artribune director Massimiliano Tonelli, featured vice directors Antonio Carloni (Turin) and Antonio Denunzio (Naples), Ilaria Bonacossa (director of the nascent Museo dell'arte digitale in Milan), and professor Lucio Argano, who outlined twelve guidelines for future cultural spaces. Michele Coppola, director of the museum network, emphasized the need for investment in culture and praised public-private synergy. The model prioritizes research, inclusion, innovation (especially digital), and the creation of integrated services like high-end dining. In Turin, the museum has spurred urban transformation and hosts a rich Public program; in Naples, the former bank building now houses over 800 works and public amenities. Argano's guidelines call for an enriched offering, flexible spaces, collaborative networks, and a shift from storytelling to storydoing, with a focus on digital and green transitions and entrepreneurial risk-taking.