Italy and Albania sign cultural agreements, MAXXI to collaborate with Tirana's National Gallery
During an intergovernmental summit held in Rome, Italy and Albania formalized agreements to enhance cultural collaboration. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and his Albanian counterpart, Blendi Gonxhja, explored various projects to promote cultural exchanges. A significant result of their discussions is a Memorandum of Understanding between the MAXXI Foundation and Tirana's National Gallery of Arts, which was signed by MAXXI President Maria Emanuela Bruni and National Gallery Director Adela Demetja. This three-year agreement, spanning from 2025 to 2028, is designed to improve Albania's primary modern art museum, facilitating its reopening in the summer of 2026. Funding will come from Albania's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports and the Italian Cultural Institute in Tirana. Additional projects include a museum dedicated to Italo-Albanian identity and a cinema co-production agreement.
Key facts
- Meeting between Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Albanian Culture Minister Blendi Gonxhja in Rome during an intergovernmental summit.
- Memorandum of Understanding between MAXXI Foundation and National Gallery of Arts in Tirana, signed by Maria Emanuela Bruni and Adela Demetja.
- Three-year collaboration (2025-2028) for the new setup and management of the National Gallery of Arts in Tirana.
- Reopening of the National Gallery of Arts in Tirana planned for summer 2026.
- Project co-financed by Albania's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports (MTKS) and the Italian Cultural Institute in Tirana (IIC Tirana).
- Proposal to create a museum of Italo-Albanian identity in Tirana.
- Twinning between Butrint and Italian sites along the cultural route of Aeneas.
- Butrint was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.
- Joint initiatives to explore links between the two countries' national Risorgimentos.
- Bilateral cinema co-production agreement to strengthen contemporary creative ties.
- Italian Ministry of Culture commits to protecting Arbëreshë communities in Italy.
Entities
Institutions
- MAXXI Foundation
- National Gallery of Arts (Tirana)
- Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC)
- Albanian Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports (MTKS)
- Italian Cultural Institute in Tirana (IIC Tirana)
- Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- UNESCO
- Council of Europe
Locations
- Italy
- Albania
- Rome
- Tirana
- Butrint
- Adriatic
- Troy
- Greece
- Turkey
- Tunisia
- Mediterranean