[HOME ] [ABOUT] [PHOTOS] [VIDEO] [BLOG] [HOUSTON] [TEXAS] [U.S. NEWS] [WORLD NEWS] [SPORTS] [POP CULTURE] [CONTACT]
Why Italy has turned to crowdfunding to preserve its culture
Michelangelo's David in Florence Italy—Photo by Joseph Earnest
by Joseph Earnest November 2, 2015
Newscast Media ROME—Cultural architectural treasures in Italy are crumbling because of a lack of funds to maintain them. New models are being developed to finance the restoration of these sites. Can crowfunding save the country's heritage?
Fifteen years ago, to great fanfare, Rome's long buried Domus Aurea - the sumptuous Golden Palace of Emperor Nero - was opened to the public after some partial restoration.
Discovered in the Renaissance, major artists of the time squeezed through openings in the earth and lowered themselves by rope into the vast frescoed ruins to study the "grotte," or caves, as they believed them to be. Inspired by what they discovered in the underground palace, the masters, including Raffaele, infused this ancient style in their own works, further enriching Renaissance art.
The grandiose Trevi Fountain in Rome—Photo by Joseph Earnest
Modern access to the sprawling complex, however, has been just as challenging and so far, less fruitful. Two years after the ancient palace was opened in 1999, authorities shut it again due to worries about structural stability. Then, in 2010, a large section of one of the vaulted galleries collapsed after rainfall.
Four years of work later, the place is now structurally sound and open to limited weekend tours. Tiny slices of its delicate frescos have been stripped of crystallization, calcium deposits, pollutant crusts, and biological growth to give a teaser of what splendors lie beneath.
All that's missing? A mere 30 million euros ($33 million).
It's a predicament that dozens of cultural sites throughout Italy are facing. As the country limps out of its recession, public funds for cultural restoration are stretched thin.
Yet some recent developments in the management of cultural funding in Italy could be the first positive rumblings in a seismic shift in how Italians view their responsibility towards their patrimony.
One is a new law, Art Bonus, aimed to encourage both individual and corporate patrons to invest in the restoration of cultural entities by offering a tax bonus equal to a deduction of 65% of their donation. The law also gives a 30% tax credit to tourist structures when they invest in renovation or updating.
Spending on culture in Italy totals 1.2% of GDP compared with a European average of 2.2%. Yet the government says that in 2016, for the first time, the trend of shrinking spending on culture will reverse because of the Art Bonus.
"Bringing the culture of patronage here will take time," said Culture and Tourism Minister Dario Franceschini, while recently promoting the incentive. "But the results of Art bonus for Italy are absolutely positive, even extraordinary, especially given they were achieved in an experimental stage without a publicity campaign."
Add Comments>>
Source: Radio Deutsche Welle
|
|
Join the Newscast Media social networks
for current events and multimedia content.
Copyright© Newscast Media. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Privacy Policy