MEIS Museum in Ferrara Faces Funding Crisis After Ministry Error

The National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS) in Ferrara has lost €24.375 million in funding due to a procedural error by the Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. Regional Culture Assessor Massimo Mezzetti revealed that the funds were not committed in time, leading to their reallocation. The museum, established by law in 2003 and championed by former Minister Dario Franceschini, is a national institution addressing Jewish history in Italy. The project includes five transparent volumes symbolizing the Torah chapters, designed by a team led by Alessandro Cambi (Studio Arco, SCAPE). Two lots have been completed, including a building inaugurated in December 2017 by President Sergio Mattarella. A third lot is currently under tender, but the permanent exhibition core remains unbidded. Mezzetti demands concrete reassurances from Minister Bonisoli, while Vittorio Sgarbi has called the situation a 'dangerous decision.' The controversy follows a similar dispute over the Palazzo dei Diamanti expansion in Ferrara.