Having wealth and failing to appreciate its true value. It happens that we possess something of value, yet fail to realise it. This is our ‘aesthetic wealth’: the artistic, architectural and cultural heritage scattered throughout the region. We have a source of (potential) resources, but we do not know how to make the most of it. The daily routine of passing palaces, squares, sites and monuments on our way to work, or whilst strolling through the centres of our towns and cities, makes them seem ordinary: they are part of our landscape. But it is when we visit a foreign country that we can truly appreciate the sheer abundance and variety of these widespread treasures at our disposal. Or when a monument is damaged by our own neglect or by clumsy, ill-mannered visitors. Or again, when a foreign tourist marvels at the sheer number of works of art on display. For a country like Italy, which lacks valuable raw materials, history has left us with a collection of ‘aesthetic resources’ that have few equals in the world. And if these were put to good use, they could generate (and indeed already do) a significant proportion of GDP.
Finegil newspapers, 3 April 2016
Corriere delle Alpi, 3 April 2016
Messaggero Veneto, 3 April 2016
Indeed, the latest annual report on the cultural production system (Symbola Foundation and Unioncamere) highlights how businesses in the cultural and creative sectors generate 78.6 billion in added value and have a knock-on effect on other sectors of the economy, mobilising a total of 15.6 per cent of national added value (227 billion euros), with Vicenza, Pordenone and Treviso ranking among the top 10 provinces in Italy (in 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively). The 443,458 businesses in the cultural production sector (of which 54,539 are in the North-East, accounting for 12.2 per cent) generate 5.4 per cent of the wealth produced in Italy, amounting to 74.9 billion euros. If we also include public institutions and non-profit organisations active in the cultural sector, this figure rises to around 80 billion euros (5.7 per cent of national wealth). In short, we possess a wealth of artistic, historical and cultural treasures that we must systematically promote.
The extent to which this heritage is visited and how it can best be utilised is the subject of the survey carried out amongst the population by Community Media Research. Just under half of those in the north-east can be described as regular visitors (45.5 per cent, more than four times a year) to exhibitions, museums and archaeological sites in our country, with people from Friuli and Giulianova clearly leading the rankings (76.3 per cent). Meanwhile, a similar proportion attend only occasionally (47.0 per cent, 1–3 times a year), with a particularly high proportion among residents of Trentino and South Tyrol (72.4 per cent). Those most frequent in these activities are primarily women, students and adults (aged 55–64), as well as those with a university degree. Therefore, even in terms of attendance and visits, there are certainly many who devote part of their free time to enjoying artistic treasures, but there is undoubtedly still a large segment of the population whose interest could be captured.
The fact that there is potential for investment – not only in terms of providing information on visitor opportunities, but also in raising awareness of the need to invest in cultural knowledge – is evidenced by the fact that fewer than two-thirds of people in the north-east (60.5 per cent) believe it is right to pay an admission fee to cultural sites, a figure that drops sharply, particularly in Trentino-Alto Adige (27.6%), whilst the remaining two-fifths (39.5%) believe entry should be free. Furthermore, 48.5 per cent consider the ticket price to be excessive, whilst 35.5 per cent consider it appropriate and as many as 16.0 per cent consider it too cheap. It is primarily residents of Trentino and South Tyrol who highlight the high cost (78.7 per cent). Thus, the majority believe it is necessary to pay to visit our artistic heritage, but a significant proportion consider this cost to be excessive. At the same time, there is a not insignificant minority who regard the country’s cultural heritage as an indivisible asset and, as such, believe it should be available free of charge to everyone.
There is a clear discrepancy between the expectations of a significant section of the population and the dwindling availability of public resources, which makes it impractical to enjoy cultural sites freely, as they entail high maintenance and management costs. Therefore, financial resources are needed to preserve and make the most of our heritage. In this regard, over the years there has been growing discussion – albeit not without considerable difficulty – about opening up the management of Italy’s artistic and cultural heritage to the private sector. One need only recall the controversies and bureaucratic hurdles that arise whenever an entrepreneur seeks to become involved in the restoration of a monument or is considered for a role in the management of a museum. Whilst 18.0 per cent would like the state to be the sole administrator, conversely – and to varying degrees – the idea of private-sector participation aimed at enhancing and bringing a more business-oriented approach to the management of our ‘aesthetic resources’ has gained ground. The majority (65.0 per cent, particularly in Friuli Venezia Giulia: 89.1 per cent) still sees the state as the main body responsible, alongside the private sector, whilst a greater openness to businesses is supported by a total of 17.0 per cent of respondents (particularly among those in Veneto: 18.2 per cent). In short, 85.5 per cent consider such an opening desirable (97.4 per cent in Friuli Venezia Giulia), whilst 14.5 per cent regard this opportunity as undesirable.
Thus, people in the North-East view the involvement of the private sector favourably, but a comparison with the rest of Italy reveals a generally more reluctant attitude towards a decisive opening up of the sector. This is paradoxical, given the particularly widespread entrepreneurial culture in these regions. There is a desire for greater promotion and professional management of cultural heritage, provided, however, that the State continues to retain control and ensures free access to it. In the North-East, the cultural sector constitutes a latent resource yet to be explored and strategically harnessed. Alongside the material production system, ‘aesthetic’ and intangible resources are a fundamental asset, which already generate wealth that is currently undervalued. Their integration acts as a genuine economic catalyst and demonstrates that, when organised effectively, culture can be a source of livelihood.
Daniele Marini
Methodological note
Community Media Research carried out the nationwide survey from 25 November to 7 December 2015 on a representative sample of the resident population in Italy aged over 18. The methodological aspects and data collection were handled by the company Quantitas. There were a total of 1,378 respondents (out of 12,981 contacts). The data analysis was re-weighted according to gender, region, age group, employment status and educational qualifications. The margin of error is +/-2.6%. The survey was conducted via a visual survey on the main social networks and using a random sample reached via CAWI and CATI systems. The full report is available at www.communitymediaresearch.it e www.agcom.it
