It sometimes happens that we possess something of value but fail to realise it. We have a wealth, a source of (potential) resources, but we do not know how to make the most of it. This is the case with our artistic, architectural and cultural heritage in general. The daily routine of passing palaces, squares, sites and monuments on our way to work, or whilst strolling through our town and city centres, makes them seem ordinary: they are part of our landscape. But it is only when we visit a foreign country that we can truly appreciate the sheer abundance and variety of cultural treasures at our disposal. Or when an archaeological site 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 on display. For a country like Italy, which lacks valuable raw materials, history has bequeathed us 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.
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). The 443,458 businesses within the cultural production sector (7.3 per cent of all national businesses) 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 focus of the survey carried out amongst the population. Just under half of those surveyed can be described as regular visitors (45.4 per cent, more than four times a year) to exhibitions, museums and archaeological sites in our country, whilst a similar proportion visit only occasionally (48.1 per cent, 1–3 times a year). Those most frequent visitors to these venues are primarily women, students and adults (aged 55–64), university graduates and residents of Central Italy. Therefore, even in terms of attendance and visits, there are certainly many Italians 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 scope 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 three-quarters of respondents believe it is fair to pay an admission fee to cultural venues (75.6%), whilst the remaining quarter (24.4%) believe entry should be free. Furthermore, 47.3% consider the ticket price to be excessive, whilst 40.2% consider it appropriate and as many as 12.5% consider it too cheap. Thus, the vast majority believe it is necessary to pay to visit our artistic heritage, but a significant proportion consider this cost 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 not insignificant section of the population and the dwindling availability of public funds, which makes it impractical to allow free access to cultural sites, given their high maintenance and running 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 one-fifth (19.0%) would prefer the state to be the sole administrator, conversely – and to varying degrees – the idea of private-sector involvement aimed at enhancing and bringing a more business-oriented approach to the management of our ‘aesthetic resources’ has gained ground. The majority (47.5 per cent) still see the state as the primary responsible party alongside the private sector, whilst a greater openness to business is supported by a total of 33.5 per cent of those surveyed. In short, 80.7 per cent consider such an opening desirable, whilst 19.7 per cent regard this opportunity as undesirable.
The cultural and artistic sphere represents a latent resource yet to be explored and harnessed strategically. Alongside the material production system, ‘aesthetic’ and intangible resources are a fundamental asset of ‘Made in Italy’, which already generate wealth that is currently underestimated. Their interplay acts as a genuine economic catalyst and demonstrates that, when properly organised, culture can be a source of livelihood.
La Stampa, p. 37, 22 March 2016
Daniele Marini
Methodological note
Community Media Research, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo for La Stampa, has carried out the LaST Survey (Laboratory on Society and the Territory), which was conducted nationwide 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 managed by Quantitas. The total number of respondents was 1,378 (out of 12,981 contacts). The data analysis was reweighted according to gender, region, age group, employment status and educational qualification. The margin of error is +/-2.6%. The survey was conducted via a visual survey on the main social media platforms and using a random sample reached via CAWI and CATI systems. The full report is available at www.communitymediaresearch.it e www.agcom.it
