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.
The situation highlights a critical labor and policy crisis within Italy's cultural administration. The Ministry faces a chronic staff shortage of over 6,300 units, with 1,800 being technical officials, yet it risks discarding a ready pool of vetted professionals. This move is seen as an administrative anomaly, a politically unacceptable choice, and a form of discrimination against art historians, a field already suffering from years of hiring freezes and institutional undervaluation. The protest, supported by the workers' rights association Mi Riconosci?, argues the decision lacks foresight and jeopardizes the future operational capacity of Italy's cultural heritage sector.