Italian Museums Reassert Public Mission Post-Lockdown

The COVID-19 crisis has prompted a re-evaluation of the role of public museums in Italy, with directors and curators reaffirming their core mission as public goods serving community education and social inclusion, rather than prioritizing visitor numbers and revenue. Giovanna Melandri, president of MAXXI in Rome, announced the Maxxi Teen project starting June 18, offering students museum spaces for online lessons and educational workshops. Laura Valente, president of MADRE in Naples, envisions a 'community museum' that is diffuse, active, shared, and participatory. Sergio Risaliti, director of Museo Novecento Florence, insists museums are fundamental to cultural growth, serving as tools for knowledge, aesthetic sensitivity, and creative development, with children, students, young artists, and citizens at the center. Lorenzo Balbi, director of MAMbo in Bologna, addressed these themes at the Forum dell'arte contemporanea 2020. Luca Lo Pinto's new MACRO in Rome will open its inaugural exhibition on July 17 with free admission, reviving the spirit of the 'Roman summer' and encouraging city-dwelling. The article argues that public museums are not businesses; their primary profit is the future, supporting Italian artists, offering spaces for the elderly and disabled, engaging with current issues, and providing educational programs—benefits that are not immediately quantifiable but enrich the country humanely over decades.