Italian cultural initiatives emerge to counter COVID-19 impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted Italy's cultural sector, prompting the creation of new representative bodies and initiatives. Assopatrimonio, a lobby for Italian heritage, was founded to promote architectural, artistic, cultural, and historical assets. Led by Ivan Drogo Inglese, it aims to transform heritage into an economic asset, with projects including the Heritage Bonus restoration fund, a master's in heritage management at IULM University, and the MyCicero app for heritage access. In Turin, the Consulta for the valorization of artistic and cultural assets elected Giorgio Marsiaj as president on May 5, 2020, with plans to expand to Piedmont and digitize its 31 member companies. The music sector saw the formation of La Musica Che Gira, a coordination of professionals advocating for structural reform, which met with MiBACT on June 26, 2020, leading to commitments for live music venues and a future States General of Music. The CCW-Cultural Welfare Center launched in Turin and Favara, Sicily, to promote culture in healthcare and health in cultural spaces, led by Catterina Seia and Alessandra Rossi Ghiglione, with a committee of ten experts.