The Value of the Private Cultural System in Italy

The Community Valore Cultura presents the event The Value of the Private Cultural System in Italy, dedicated to exploring the social and economic role and impact of the private cultural sector as a widespread asset for our country, and to the presentation of a new methodology for measuring cultural value.

 

Wednesday, November 19, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Fondazione Bracco, Palazzo Visconti – Via Cino del Duca 8, Milan

 

The initiative is promoted by Community Valore Cultura, a platform for sharing, designing, and developing strategic approaches among Italy’s privately governed cultural institutions.

The Community is supported by TEHA Group together with Fondazione Biscozzi Rimbaud, Fondazione Bracco, Fondazione Elpis, Fondazione Golinelli, and Fondazione Luigi Rovati.

 

The opening remarks will be delivered by Diana Bracco, President of Fondazione Bracco.

Presentations by Lorenzo Tavazzi (The European House – Ambrosetti) and Mario Abis (Università IULM) will follow, leading into a round table discussion on the public and private cultural systems, with contributions from:

Federico Mollicone (Chair, Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Italian Chamber of Deputies),

Francesco Spano (Federculture),

Antonio Danieli (Fondazione Golinelli),

Roberto Pesenti (Gres Art 671), and

Tiziana Frescobaldi (Compagnia de’ Frescobaldi).

 

Giovanna Forlanelli, President of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati, will deliver the closing remarks.

The discussion will be moderated by Stefano Salis.

The System of Private Cultural Foundations: A Strategic Asset for Italy

The Community Valore Cultura is founded on the awareness that the private cultural system in Italy represents a strategic and widespread asset for the country—one that drives both national and local socio-economic development and holds strong potential for growth. This is demonstrated by several key figures:

 

• There are currently 1,546 privately owned cultural institutions open to the public, accounting for 35% of the total 4,416 across Italy.

• Together, these institutions attract 30.76 million visitors, 35% of whom come from abroad.

• 53% are located in Northern Italy, 26% in Central Italy, and 21% in the South and Islands.

• 54% are open to the public more than four days per week.

• 53% offer educational or didactic activities, and around 18% organize conferences, lectures, and online seminars.

• 49% use digital technologies in various forms.

 

 

Based on these data, “the private cultural system is a cornerstone of Italy’s society and economy, complementing the public sector in providing inclusive initiatives across art and science — from permanent collections and temporary exhibitions to school workshops, conferences, training programs, and other events.

The Community Valore Cultura, one of TEHA Group’s stakeholder communities dedicated to key national themes, was established as an authoritative platform for sharing, planning, and developing strategic approaches among Italy’s privately governed cultural institutions,” said Lorenzo Tavazzi (Senior Partner and Head of the Scenarios & Intelligence Area, TEHA Group).

 

 

 

The Importance of Measuring Social and Economic Impact in Cultural Systems

 

 

As its first initiative, the Community Valore Cultura focused on developing an index to measure the social and economic impact of cultural enterprises on their territories.

During the experimental phase, a public survey was carried out to assess the factors of motivation, satisfaction, and perceived value of cultural experiences in different contexts.

 

The survey—conducted among the Community’s member foundations on a preliminary but significant sample of over 500 respondents—yielded several insights:

 

• When choosing cultural offerings, the use of the Internet and social networks predominates across all age groups, especially among younger audiences.

• The average satisfaction level across cultural experiences is very high (8.7 out of 10). Innovation ranks as the most appreciated aspect, followed by perceived personal cultural growth and participation.

• Over 80% of respondents associate their experience with positive stimuli, such as emotional engagement and a sense of well-being.

• Beyond the content itself, visitors particularly appreciate the quality of exhibition design and communication.

• Notably, 82% would repeat the experience, and 95% would recommend it to others.

 

 

“Based on these results, and other methodological elements, we developed an index to measure the social impact of different cultural experiences.

This composite index integrates key dimensions such as valorization, loyalty, satisfaction, and reach, creating a synthetic framework that can be projected across different social clusters and territorial contexts.

Subsequently, the social impact index will be integrated with the economic impact index to form a single comprehensive metric.

A fundamental variable of this index is its relationship with territories — whether a large city, a small town, or even a rural village, in the North, Center, South, or Islands,” explained Mario Abis (Professor of Statistics and Social Research at IULM University of Milan and Scientific Advisor to the Community Valore Cultura).

 

 

The Community Valore Cultura brings together leading foundations that embody the diverse “souls” of Italy’s cultural system, operating in distinct regional and thematic contexts while offering an innovative model of collaboration and strategic vision.

 

“This initiative stems from the desire to assign both social and economic value to the investments that private institutions make in the interests of their communities—investments that too often go unrecognized,” commented Giovanna Forlanelli (President, Fondazione Luigi Rovati).

 

“For us, this project marks an important first step toward establishing a measurable and solid foundation for assessing the impact that Fondazione Golinelli’s cultural activities generate on people, communities, and territories.

We consider it crucial to highlight the role of scientific and technological culture, integrated with the humanities, as a driver of individual and collective growth—a knowledge that stimulates critical thinking, fosters innovation, and strengthens society’s ability to face complex challenges.

Understanding the effectiveness of our initiatives allows us to improve them, make them more inclusive, and contribute meaningfully to a more aware and prepared society.

Moreover, collaborating on this journey with other major Italian foundations devoted to cultural advancement enables us to pursue a truly holistic vision—integrating diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise toward a shared goal,”said Andrea Zanotti (President, Fondazione Golinelli).

 

“Since 2011, Fondazione Bracco has promoted and supported numerous studies on the benefits of cultural engagement for individual well-being. These have provided further scientific evidence of cultural investment as a lever for improving quality of life and fostering social inclusion.

Today, the launch of a new Community that focuses on the socio-economic impact of culture marks a particularly significant step forward,” stated Diana Bracco (President, Fondazione Bracco).

 

“Our goal is to reach audiences of all ages, enhancing the socio-economic impact of our cultural and educational offerings in Lecce and across Apulia—a region not yet fully accustomed to modern and contemporary art—while creating a hub of attraction for international visitors,” added Dominique Rimbaud (President, Fondazione Biscozzi Rimbaud ETS).

 

“The role played by cultural foundations as vehicles for discovering and connecting territories and their communities is particularly vital for Italy’s inland areas.

This is precisely what Fondazione Elpis has pursued over the past six years through the contemporary art project Una Boccata d’Arte, fostering encounters between young artists and places rich in identity and tradition yet outside mainstream tourist flows.

It is through encounter and participation that those relational constellations are created—giving meaning to the artworks born from the talent of new generations,” emphasized Marina Nissim (President, Fondazione Elpis).