Uffizi director warns museum may close due to staff shortage

Eike Schmidt, director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, warned that the museum may be forced to close due to a severe shortage of personnel. In an interview with Ansa, Schmidt stated that staff levels are "reduced to the bone" across Italian state museums, blaming the situation on "partial autonomy" that leaves staffing decisions under central administration control. He noted that the Uffizi received a circular from the Ministry of Culture announcing a further 9% cut in staff. Massimo Osanna, director general of state museums, countered that the document is a decree aimed at rationalizing resources across the national museum system, including reassigning staff to smaller museums. Osanna announced 1,053 new surveillance hires starting September 15, with 400 more in December and another 1,053 in 2023. However, Schmidt argued these numbers are insufficient. The Uffizi lost 166 staff to retirement between 2013 and 2022, with only 34 new hires. Other museum directors echoed the crisis: Paolo Giulierini of the MANN in Naples said he has 80 custodians instead of 100, while Francesco Sirano of the Herculaneum Archaeological Park has 24 custodians instead of 65. Osanna suggested using staff from Ales, the ministry's in-house services company, to expand public access and research.