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The Ministry of Culture (Italian: Ministero della Cultura - MiC) is the ministry of the Government of Italy in charge of national museums and maintenance of historical monuments. MiC's headquarters are located in the historic Collegio Romano Palace (via del Collegio Romano 27, in central Rome) and the current Minister of Culture is Alessandro Giuli.
It was set up in 1974 as the Ministry for Cultural Assets and Environments (Italian: Ministero per i Beni Culturali ed Ambientali) by the Moro IV Cabinet through the decree read on 14 December 1974, n. 657, converted (with changes) from the law of 29 January 1975, n° 5. The new ministry (defined as per i beni culturali — that is for cultural assets, showing the wish to create a mainly technical organ) largely has the remit and functions previously under the Ministry of Public Education (specifically its Antiquity and Fine Arts, and Academies and Libraries, sections). To this remit and functions it some of those of the Ministry of the Interior (State archives) and of the President of the Council of Ministers (state computer archives, publishing and diffusion of culture).
Legislative decree number 368 of 20 October 1998 set up the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, with all the old ministry's remits as well as some new ones:
In 2006, the sport portfolio was reassigned to the new Dipartimento per le Politiche Giovanili e le Attività Sportive.
The ministry is principally concerned with culture, the protection and preservation of artistic sites and property, landscape, and tourism (Decree 181/2006). At the end of 2006, the ministry's departments were abolished and their responsibilities returned to the ministry itself.
In 2009 the Ministry’s organisational structure underwent significant changes (Decree 91/2009): the coordination of ministerial functions is still entrusted to a Secretary General, the General Directorates have been reduced from nine to eight, with new denominations and a partial reshaping of their responsibilities. The eight General Directorates continue to be technically supported by high level scientific bodies (Central Institutes).
The peripheral ministerial structure of Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities is provided for, in 17 out of 20 regions, by Regional Directorates for Cultural Heritage and Landscape and by the local Soprintendenze.
On 1 March 2021 the "Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism" was renamed into the "Ministry of Culture".
The Ministry is made up of a variety of internal divisions, including:
Istituti Centrali (Central Institutes):
The current minister is Alessandro Giuli, appointed on 6 September 2024 by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The Ministry logo is inspired by the face of Apollo, in the famous sculptural group of Apollo and Daphne by Bernini kept at the Borghese Gallery.