Italian book: Francesco Erbani highlights the lack of public money for culture

“Mancanza di personale”. Lack of staff. These three words come back like a litany in Italian museums, especially in the south of the country. They are of course found in the polemical work “Lo stato dell’arte”, published by Francesco Erbani at Editions Manni. The author intends to delve into “the vices, the virtues and the public management of cultural property”. Vices, especially! I do not intend to talk about books released in a foreign language, especially if I have not read them. However, there is very little chance that it, firmly anchored in national soil, will one day come out in French. “Le Journal des arts” only talks about it this month to the extent that the current issue is dedicated to Italy. This of course gave the opportunity to question Francesco Erbani. His comments, which I will summarize for you with a few extrapolations, were collected by Olivier Tosseri, on-site correspondent for the French fortnightly.

“In 2020, Italy allocated 4.9 billion euros to culture. It’s a little less than Spain’s 5 billion and a long way from Germany’s 15.3 billion and France’s 16.6 billion.”

Francesco Erbani

Erbani, who has already written extensively on the transalpine cultural system, is 68 years old. Needless to say, he knows the subject. The first thing worrying him is the lack of money. Even if his country lives largely from its museums, its churches and its various monuments, it reserves a very small budget for its Ministry of Culture, created barely fifty years ago. “In 2020, Italy allocated only 4.9 billion euros. It’s a little less than Spain’s 5 billion and a long way from Germany’s 15.3 billion and France’s 16.6 billion.” Normally, in Europe, the sum represents around 1 percent of the total budget. In Italy, it is 0.7, the level of Portugal and Greece. Francesco Erbani also does not like the terms “cultural goods” which remain linked to him. They give the public the idea of ​​a commodity. He also hates the notion, very present with the government of Giorgia Meloni, of an identity role of culture “by rewriting the national historical narrative.”

The worst problem, however, remains the lack of staff at all levels. If it is not too visible to tourists, it is because of the use of precarious workers hired at extremely low wages (1). “According to 2020 data, there is a shortage of 32 percent of security personnel, while 77 percent of officers on duty are over 55.” The high age comes up again and again during the interview. “36 percent of the workforce is missing, with 60 percent of art historians, archaeologists or architects over the age of 55.” No relief, therefore. “Within the Museums Directorate, the situation is even worse with a staff deficit approaching 60 percent, and reaching 70 percent among those in charge of expenditure procedures.” Hence, as you may have guessed, a worrying number of temporary workers or double positions.

As in France, where the situation often turns out to be similar (which the “Journal des arts” does not say, the situation being supposedly known to its readers), the Ministry passes from hand to hand. But here is added a perpetual desire for modifications that go “whistle” after having created incredible controversies. “From 1998 to the first months of 2024, the Ministry of Culture underwent fifteen reforms which only served to put a little more stress on an understaffed structure.” These shortcomings should be remedied, but “competitions for new hires remain extremely rare.” We are therefore faced with “a machine running on empty.” “The whole system is on the verge of collapse.” No minister had the courage to bang his fist on the table. “It’s as if the Minister of the Economy had to operate without worrying about an uncontrollable debt.” Unfortunate words in my opinion when you have a French journalist in front of you…

“Less than three in ten Italians enter museums and libraries each year.”

Francesco Erbani

Francesco Erbani also criticizes the commodification of culture, the obsession with attendance figures and the rental of public places. Things, it is said between us, very present in France too. Finally, he highlights the fact that Italians themselves rarely visit their museums, and even less often their libraries. “Less than three out of ten Italians enter these kinds of cultural places each year.” Tourism suddenly becomes the raison d’être of heritage, with the risks of abuse to which the thing can lead (2). “Le Journal des arts” however completes its file with good news. It is necessary. The “Vasari corridor” has reopened at the Uffizi in Florence. Rome has a new museum center located on the Corso. There is also a lot going on everywhere, as I sometimes echo. Would the situation remain normal in its abnormality?

(1) For a long time, after the war, I remember that the guards were former war wounded.

(2) Francesco Erbani gives as proof that Venice reopened its museums much later than other Italian cities after Covid, due to the “absence of tourists”. However, I remind you that the city has a total of 50,000 inhabitants, also significantly older than 55 years. Bad faith is part of the controversy.

Practical

“Journal des arts”, number 646, from January 3 to 16, 2024.

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Born in 1948, Etienne Dumont studied in Geneva which were of little use to him. Latin, Greek, law. A failed lawyer, he turned to journalism. Most often in the cultural sections, he worked from March 1974 to May 2013 at the “Tribune de Genève”, starting by talking about cinema. Then came fine arts and books. Other than that, as you can see, nothing to report.More info

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