Italy's cultural future at risk despite decade of progress, warns Artribune editor

In a year-opening editorial for Artribune Magazine, editor Massimiliano Tonelli assesses Italy's cultural landscape at the start of 2019, comparing it to 2009. He notes improvements in museum offerings (Maxxi, Fondazione Prada), training (international academies in Italy), museum autonomy, tax laws for patronage, and Milan's transformation into a tourist destination. However, he warns that recent political shifts threaten these gains: culture funding is declining, intellectual narrowness is celebrated, press freedom is challenged, non-profit cultural services face fiscal attacks, Culture Minister is weak, major events like Matera 2019 lack government support, museums like Maxxi and Galleria Nazionale di Roma face funding cuts, and cities like Turin and Rome are declining. Milan thrives but faces government obstacles. Tonelli concludes that 2019 could have been a year of cultural consolidation but will not be, due to a political climate hostile to culture.