Vittorio Sgarbi Attacks Roberto Gualtieri's Museum Plan for Rome

Vittorio Sgarbi, the Italian art critic and politician, has launched a scathing critique of Rome mayoral candidate Roberto Gualtieri's proposal to create a unified museum of Rome's history in the former Pantanella building in Via dei Cerchi. Sgarbi accuses Gualtieri of reviving fascist rhetoric by suggesting the relocation of existing institutions to a 'strategic zone' and using slogans reminiscent of the Mussolini era. He compares Gualtieri's plan to a 'durigonata,' referencing Claudio Durigon's controversial restoration of historical street names. Sgarbi dismisses Gualtieri's language as bureaucratic and vacuous, filled with terms like 'integrated system,' 'valorization,' and 'fruition,' but lacking concrete focus on artworks. He criticizes the proposal for ignoring the fate of the former Museum of Oriental Art and the Museum of Roman Civilization, and for promoting a 'polyclinic of cultural heritage' that integrates universities, CNR, superintendencies, and the third sector. Sgarbi calls for resistance against what he sees as a pathetic revival of imperial fascist glory. The article was published on Artribune in August 2021.