Italian Culture Minister Sangiuliano Criticizes Free Museum Entry, Then Clarifies
Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italy's new Minister of Culture, stated on the TV program Porta a Porta that he is "absolutely against free museums," arguing that the policy "does not hold up economically and then depreciates the value of the works." This contradicts the success of the state initiative of free first Sundays, introduced in July 2014 and resumed in April 2022 after the pandemic. On the first Sunday of October 2022, nearly 30,000 visitors attended Pompeii, over 25,000 the Colosseum, more than 11,000 the Boboli Gardens, and almost 10,000 each at Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este, and the Archaeological Park of Paestum and Velia. Many European and US institutions, including MoMA, the Louvre, and the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, also offer free entry days. Sangiuliano emphasized using PNRR funds "with honesty" and noted that Italy is "the first cultural superpower on the planet." He also announced a €10 million allocation for cinema revival and a €3.40 discount on tickets. Following backlash, Sangiuliano clarified on Tg1 on November 3 that free first Sundays would continue, stating that free entry "depauperates the value of our cultural heritage" but exempting the first Sunday initiative from this criticism. He confirmed the next free Sunday on November 6, 2022. Uffizi Director Eike Schmidt, after Sangiuliano criticized the Uffizi for closing on October 31, noted that staffing shortages are a systemic issue requiring central intervention.
Key facts
- Gennaro Sangiuliano is Italy's new Minister of Culture.
- He expressed opposition to free museum entry on Porta a Porta.
- Free first Sundays were introduced in July 2014 and resumed in April 2022.
- On the first Sunday of October 2022, nearly 30,000 visited Pompeii.
- Over 25,000 visited the Colosseum on that day.
- More than 11,000 visited the Boboli Gardens.
- Almost 10,000 visited Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este.
- Almost 10,000 visited the Archaeological Park of Paestum and Velia.
- MoMA, Louvre, and Pergamon Museum also offer free entry days.
- Sangiuliano plans to use PNRR funds for culture.
- He announced €10 million for cinema and a €3.40 ticket discount.
- He clarified on November 3 that free first Sundays will continue.
- The next free Sunday is November 6, 2022.
- Uffizi Director Eike Schmidt cited systemic staffing shortages.
Entities
Institutions
- Ministero della Cultura
- Gallerie degli Uffizi
- MoMA
- Louvre
- Pergamon Museum
- Tate
- National Gallery
- British Museum
- Prado
- Reina Sofia
- Guggenheim New York
- Guggenheim Bilbao
- Churchill War Rooms
- Musée d'Orsay
- ICOM
- Parco Archeologico del Colosseo
- Parco Archeologico di Pompei
- Galleria degli Uffizi
- Giardino di Boboli
- Reggia di Caserta
- Palazzo Reale di Napoli
- Villa Adriana e Villa d'Este
- Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo
- Palazzo Pitti
- Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze
- Musei Reali di Torino
- Galleria nazionale d'arte moderna e contemporanea di Roma
- Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
- Parco archeologico di Ostia antica
- Parco Archeologico di Ercolano
- Museo di Capodimonte
- Palazzo Ducale di Mantova
- Musei del Bargello
- Gallerie nazionali di arte antica di Roma
- Parco archeologico dei Campi Flegrei
- Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
- Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia
- Pinacoteca di Brera
- Parco archeologico di Cerveteri e Tarquinia
- Castello di Miramare di Trieste
- Parco Archeologico di Paestum e Velia
- Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria
- Galleria Borghese
- Complesso monumentale della Pilotta
- Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano
- Gallerie Estensi
- Rocca Demaniale di Gradara
- Villa della Regina
- Palazzo Carignano
- Museo nazionale etrusco di Villa Giulia
- Parco Archeologico dell'Appia antica
- Galleria Spada di Roma
- Galleria Nazionale delle Marche
- Museo archeologico nazionale di Taranto
- Palazzo Reale di Genova
- Palazzo Spinola
- Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
- Artribune
Locations
- Italy
- Pompeii
- Colosseum
- Boboli Gardens
- Villa Adriana
- Villa d'Este
- Paestum
- Velia
- Rome
- Milan
- New York
- Bilbao
- London
- Berlin
- Madrid
- Paris
- Pompei
- Florence
- Caserta
- Naples
- Tivoli
- Turin
- Mantua
- Bologna
- Venice
- Cerveteri
- Tarquinia
- Trieste
- Reggio Calabria
- Parma
- Gradara
- Genoa
- Ancona
- Taranto
- Perugia