MAXXI may open new branch in Messina, Italy

Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano announced a cultural collaboration between the Centre Pompidou, the MAXXI museum, and the city of Messina during an institutional visit to Paris. The project, reportedly discussed for weeks, could establish a new MAXXI branch in Messina, tentatively named MAXXI-Med, dedicated to the Mediterranean. Potential sites include the Torri Morandi (owned by the municipality) and Villa Pace (owned by the university). The initiative follows reciprocal visits between Messina Mayor Federico Basile and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini in Rome, and between Basile and MAXXI President Alessandro Giuli. Giuli later visited Messina with Fabio Longo (advisor to Minister Sangiuliano) and Senator Nino Germanà, meeting the mayor and University Rector Salvatore Cuzzocrea. A MAXXI spokesperson confirmed ongoing dialogue involving the Ministry of Culture, the Sicilian Region, the Municipality of Messina, the University of Messina, the Centre Pompidou, and the French Ministry of Culture, but declined to confirm details. The museum project is linked to the controversial construction of the Messina Strait Bridge, aiming to position Messina as a Mediterranean hub. Separately, masterpieces from the Museo di Capodimonte will be exhibited at the Louvre in the coming months.