Italy’s Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Hon. Dario Franceschini announced last week the approval of a three-year, 300 million euro investment programme for the protection of cultural heritage, which will include a 2.5 million euro allocation of funds to complete the restoration of the Monumental Complex of San Francesco a Ripa, ICCROM’s new headquarters.
“This investment of 300 million euros on 241 interventions throughout Italy confirms how culture has returned to the centre of national politics," said Minister Franceschini. "From art to archaeology, from libraries to archives, from museums to the excellence of restoration, there is no cultural heritage sector that is not receiving a significant boost in financial and political terms from this government”.
This commitment to ICCROM signifies the importance Italy places on international efforts for cultural heritage protection, a commitment that has grown over the past 60 years since ICCROM was established on Italian territory.