Italian regions fail cultural challenge, says Artribune analysis

An Artribune article by Massimiliano Tonelli criticizes Italian regions for their inadequate cultural policies, using Tuscany as a case study. Established in 1970 to decentralize power, regions often lack a coherent cultural strategy, instead deferring to the tastes of the current president. The 1975 creation of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage recentralized some functions, leaving regions with excessive discretion and little accountability. Examples include Tuscany's poorly coordinated public art events, Campania under Bassolino, and Puglia under Vendola, where proactive cultural investments were driven by personal ambition rather than structural policy. Notable exceptions are Michele Coppola, former culture assessor in Piedmont who later joined Intesa Sanpaolo's Gallerie d'Italia, and Mauro Felicori, who moved from directing the Reggia di Caserta to Emilia-Romagna's culture assessorship. Lombardy's culture assessor gained notoriety for requesting the Mona Lisa from the Louvre after technical issues. Veneto's regional pavilion at the Venice Biennale is often criticized as provincial. In Lazio, the region is invisible in Rome's cultural scene, focusing on health and transport. Special-status regions like Sicily and Trentino have made questionable choices, such as mismanaging the Mart in Rovereto. The article argues that the problem is systemic discretion, not individual inadequacy, and calls for either removing regions' cultural competences or making them fully accountable.