Miguel Gotor Appointed Rome's New Culture Councillor

After weeks of delay, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri has appointed Miguel Gotor as the city's new culture councillor. The position was highly contested, with factions linked to Minister Dario Franceschini vying for control. Gotor, a historian and former senator close to Pierluigi Bersani, succeeds Lorenza Fruci, who was elected in early 2021 under the previous Raggi administration. Other candidates considered included Pino Battaglia, Marino Sinibaldi, and Giovanna Melandri, who denied interest. Gotor, born in Rome in 1971, is a professor of modern history at the University of Turin, specializing in saints, heretics, and inquisitors of the 16th-17th centuries, as well as 1970s history. He has authored several books, including a collection of Aldo Moro's prison letters that won the Viareggio Prize in 2008. He served in the Senate for the Democratic Party from 2013, later joining Article 1 – Democratic and Progressive Movement, part of Free and Equal. In 2018 he ran for the Chamber of Deputies but was not elected. He has written for La Stampa, Il Sole 24 Ore, and since 2020 for la Repubblica and L'Espresso. The new council also includes Maurizio Veloccia for urban planning and Alessandro Onorato for tourism, sports, and major events.