Salvatore Settis Criticizes Merger of Archaeology and Art History in Italian Cultural Reform

Salvatore Settis, writing in La Repubblica, questions the Italian Ministry of Culture's decision to merge the General Directorates for Archaeology and Art History into a single Directorate General for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape. The internal call for the new director position expires on April 23. Settis criticizes the piecemeal implementation of the Franceschini reform, warning that a weak appointment could undermine heritage protection. Separately, Il Giornale reports that Italian art cities generated a record €16 billion in revenue in 2015, with 70% from foreign tourists, according to data from the Centro Studi Turistici di Firenze presented at the XX Borsa del Turismo delle 100 Città d’Arte in Rome. Tourism has grown at 3.5% annually over 20 years. Meanwhile, Mauro Felicori, director of the Reggia di Caserta, announced plans to host a show swimming race in the royal park's basins, following a previous Oxford-Cambridge rowing exhibition. The Reggia aims to restore its pools, gardens, and Bourbon residence.