Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
CATANIA – Building a genuine regional cultural infrastructure capable of overcoming local fragmentation and supporting authorities in managing and promoting cultural heritage. With this goal, the Sicily municipal museum network continues to expand. The project, promoted by the association of Italian municipalities (ANCI) in Sicily, now involves over 100 councils and around 230 museums and cultural sites across the island.
A progress report and development outlook were presented in Catania at the ArtLab forum, where the institutional collaboration launched with the Fitzcarraldo Foundation was underscored to place culture at the heart of local development plans.
Words from ANCI Sicily’s secretary general Mario Emanuele Alvano
In his speech, ANCI Sicily’s secretary general, Mario Emanuele Alvano, highlighted the origins and aims of the network:
“Councils hold an extraordinary part of Sicily’s cultural heritage, but they often lack the resources and professional expertise to enhance it. The network was created to build an independent cultural body with its own identity. ANCI Sicily’s challenge is to turn a fragmented heritage into a system capable of producing knowledge and development, especially supporting smaller centres.”
Digitalisation, accessibility and the future foundation
Among the tools already operational and the projects under development are major innovations for visitors and residents:
- Promotion and digital: coordinated communication campaigns, a single portal and the creation of a multilingual audio guide have been launched.
- Inclusion and accessibility: a pilot trial in two councils has begun in collaboration with the regional committee of AIAS (Italian Association for Spastic Assistance) to remove barriers to access for people with disabilities.
- Establishing the foundation: the next strategic step will be the creation of a foundation dedicated to the museum network, a structure designed by ANCI to ensure financial sustainability, specialist expertise and project continuity.
