ICOM Italia Marks 70 Years: Interview with President Tiziana Maffei on Museum Challenges

ICOM Italia, the Italian committee of the International Council of Museums, celebrates its 70th anniversary. Founded in 1947 with government support and key cultural figures, it played a crucial role in postwar museum renewal. President Tiziana Maffei, an architect specializing in cultural heritage, discusses the committee's objectives: strengthening dialogue with public institutions, promoting international museology, and organizing events in Rome, Milan, Genoa, and Naples. She addresses museum professions, criticizing the lack of university-MiBACT coordination and precarious work conditions. On the 2014 MiBACT reform, she praises museum autonomy and the National Museum System but notes organizational challenges. She advocates for interdisciplinary professionalism and warns against volunteerism as a substitute for paid staff. Regarding the Art Bonus, she welcomes private support for cultural activities. Maffei rejects a single museum model, emphasizing Italy's 'biodiversity' of institutions. She highlights the Carta di Siena on Museums and Cultural Landscapes, promoting community-state cooperation. Exemplary museums include Palazzo Reale di Genova, Ecomuseo della Valdaso, Vittoriale, Galleria Nazionale di Roma, and Museo Salinas di Palermo. She urges investment in professional management to avoid trivializing museum content.