Gallerie Nazionali Barberini e Corsini director on post-Covid reopening challenges

Flaminia Gennari Santori, director of the Gallerie Nazionali Barberini e Corsini in Rome, reported 1,400 visitors in the first two weekends after reopening on June 11, later than the Ministry's suggested May 18. The museum extended two exhibitions into autumn, benefiting from global loan agreements. Staff shortages persist, with about 30 guards missing due to retirements and frozen recruitment. Revenue, which covered nearly half of operating costs, has collapsed due to closure during peak tourist months and loss of international visitors. Santori predicts the blockbuster exhibition model will disappear, replaced by a focus on permanent collections and slower, quality tourism. Digital tools for ticketing and crowd management will expand, but virtual tours are not the future. She describes Rome as beautiful and uncrowded, reminiscent of the 1970s.