The Borghese Gallery in Rome has proposed building an adjacent facility to expand its exhibition space and increase visitor capacity beyond the current limit of 360 people per two-hour slot. The museum, which welcomed over 630,000 visitors in 2025, argues the expansion is needed to display works long held in storage. A press conference is scheduled for May 19 to provide further details.
Artists in the United States are facing heightened repression, including censorship, funding cuts, and deportation threats, during the first 100 days of Donald Trump's second presidential term. The administration's executive orders have targeted cultural institutions, with a campaign to purge the Smithsonian of 'improper ideology' and the gutting of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Funding for arts grants, particularly those focused on underserved communities, has been canceled or left in limbo, creating a climate of fear and uncertainty.
Una nuova ala per risolvere i problemi della Galleria Borghese a Roma. Bella sfida, stucchevoli polemiche
The Galleria Borghese in Rome, one of Italy's most extraordinary museums, faces significant accessibility and capacity issues due to its historic 17th-century structure. The museum is difficult for visitors with disabilities, overcrowded, and forces visitors to book far in advance—often waiting over a month for a time slot—while many masterpieces remain in storage. In 2025, the engineering firm Proger offered to sponsor a feasibility study for a new wing, contributing nearly 900,000 euros to fund an international architecture competition and a technical-economic feasibility plan. The study, currently underway, aims to explore whether a new annex can be built within the protected Villa Borghese park to create new entrances, exhibition spaces, and services.
A major controversy has erupted at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) following the revelation that trustee Judy Schulich led a successful effort to block the acquisition of a new work by photographer Nan Goldin. The museum's Modern and contemporary curatorial working committee voted 11-9 against jointly purchasing Goldin's video piece *Stendhal Syndrome* (2024) with two other institutions, after Goldin was reportedly labeled antisemitic and compared to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl for her criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. The decision prompted the resignation of the AGO's curator of modern and contemporary art and two volunteer committee members.
Giuli compra tutto! Il Ministero della Cultura vuole prendersi anche Il Teatro delle Vittorie di Roma e Palazzo Labia a Venezia?
Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli is pursuing an aggressive acquisition campaign for cultural properties. After high-profile purchases including Antonello da Messina's *Ecce Homo* and Caravaggio's *Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini* (€30 million), the Ministry has now expressed interest in acquiring Rome's Teatro delle Vittorie and Venice's Palazzo Labia—both part of a real estate portfolio being sold by state broadcaster Rai. The Ministry also recently bought Verona's historic Cinema Astra (with a €7.5 million restoration plan) and Naples' Teatro Sannazzaro after a fire.
The Lazio Region of Rome and Italy's Ministry of Culture are undertaking a €35 million ($41.1 million) restoration of Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, a historic palazzo overlooking the Colosseum that has long fallen into disrepair. Originally commissioned by Pope Paul III in the 1540s and designed by Sangallo the Younger with gardens by Giacomo Del Duca, the villa has housed cardinals, served as a convent, textile factory, welfare institution, and school, and was even used by squatters and hostage-takers in the 1970s. Early restoration work since 2024 has focused on stabilizing the structure and cleaning its frescoes with laser technology, with full-scale restorations set to begin in 2026.
The face of an angel in a fresco at Rome's Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, which bore a resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has been erased. Artist Bruno Valentinetti, who restored his own 2000 fresco, removed the image last week following an inquiry by Italy's culture ministry and the diocese of Rome, stating he acted at the Vatican's request.
Rome has introduced a €2.35 entry fee for the Trevi Fountain, one of the world's most famous monuments, effective February 1 during daylight hours (9am to 9pm). The measure, announced by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, aims to curb overtourism by limiting viewership to 400 people at a time. The fountain currently welcomes up to 70,000 visitors per day, and the fee could raise an estimated $7.6 million annually for maintenance. Similar fees will apply to four other city sites, while Roman citizens retain free access.
A federal district court judge has indicated he is inclined to block the Trump administration's dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The agency, which distributes federal funding to museums and libraries nationwide, was gutted last month by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with its entire 75-person staff placed on leave. A lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction was filed by the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Judge Richard J. Leon, appointed by George W. Bush, said in court he is inclined to grant a temporary restraining order and is expected to rule shortly.
À Rome, l’extension de la Galerie Borghèse provoque une fronde
The Galleria Borghese in Rome has sparked controversy by initiating a feasibility study for a new building attached to its 17th-century villa. Museum director Francesca Cappelletti, in office since 2020, cites the need to increase visitor capacity, improve security, and create spaces for mediation, conferences, and temporary exhibitions. The museum, which saw nearly 630,000 visitors in 2025, operates with strict two-hour time slots capped at 180 people, often sold out in high season. Engineering firm Proger has offered to fund the study for €875,750 in exchange for institutional visibility, and Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri has declared the project of public interest.
Alleanza culturale tra Roma e New York. Le due città siglano il primo accordo tra grandi centri storici
Rome and New York have signed the first cultural cooperation agreement between their historic centers, Municipio I Roma Centro and Manhattan. The protocol was formalized during the Forum Cultura Roma Centro at the Temple of Vibia Sabina and Hadrian, aiming to establish an international network based on collaboration between cultural institutions and governance models. It includes exchanges, youth programs, artistic initiatives, and public art projects involving museums, archives, libraries, universities, and educational entities.
Chi è il nuovo Ministro della Cultura in Ungheria nel primo governo post-Orbán? Il profilo di Zoltán Tarr
Zoltán Tarr è stato nominato Ministro delle Relazioni Sociali e della Cultura nel primo governo post-Orbán in Ungheria, guidato dal nuovo Primo Ministro Peter Magyar. Tarr, 52 anni, ex pastore della Chiesa riformata ungherese ed europarlamentare per il PPE, ha promesso di ripristinare la libertà d'espressione e smantellare il sistema di favoritismi politici nella cultura, dopo 16 anni di governo autoritario di Viktor Orbán.
I futuri professionisti della cultura in Africa saranno formati da sei musei italiani
The fourth edition of the International School of Cultural Heritage (Scuola Internazionale del Patrimonio Culturale) is underway, with 23 cultural professionals from 12 African nations participating in a hands-on training program hosted by six Italian museums. After online modules and a week of lectures in Rome, the residential phase runs from April 27 to May 22, 2025, placing participants at the Museo delle Civiltà (MUCIV), the Archaeological Parks of Praeneste and Gabii, the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MArTA), the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria (MArRC), and the National Archaeological Museum of Agro Falisco and Forte Sangallo in Civita Castellana. The program, titled "Managing Art Collections: from ancient to contemporary," focuses on collection management, conservation, and public programming, linking archaeological heritage with contemporary practices.
Gli idonei dimenticati. Protesta per la graduatoria dei 200 storici dell’arte del Ministero della Cultura
The CISDA (Committee of Qualified Art Historians) has issued a strong protest against the Italian Ministry of Culture's intention to let the ranking list from a 2018 public competition for Art Historian Officials expire on May 30, 2026, without extension. This would invalidate the eligibility of 204 qualified candidates who passed rigorous selections. The protest has escalated into a parliamentary inquiry directed at Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, and a public demonstration is scheduled for April 28 in front of the Ministry's headquarters in Rome.