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13 January, 2023

Italian culture minister suggests fee hikes for for famous sites to combat overtourism

Florence, Italy - April 25, 2016. Uffizi gallery in Florence, Italy. It is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of Europe.

Florence’s Uffizi art gallery, known for its impressive collection of middle age and modern art, recently announced that entry fee’s will increase from 20 to 25 euros for the upcoming high season period (March – November) with Italian culture minister backing the move.

A video from a recent press conference posted to twitter shows Gennaro Sanguiliano agreeing the Uffizi price hike was fair and “in step with European standards”, singling out American tourists who he believes can pay more to enter all of Italy’s cultural sights.

“After all, the average American family that comes to Italy spends 10 to 20 thousand dollars, because of the cost of flights and hotels,” he said.

“So paying 20 euros for a ticket to see a unique site like Pompeii can also be done.”

Sono al Governo ma lamentano che non ci sono incentivi o detrazioni fiscali per i musei. Così invece di favorire le visite decidono di raddoppiare il costo del biglietto. Da marzo l'ingresso agli Uffizi passa da 12 a 25€ «perché le famiglie americane se lo possono permettere» pic.twitter.com/gKbuBb4S0V
— Alekos Prete (@AlekosPrete) January 10, 2023

The response from Italian’s on Twitter has been mixed, with some users lamenting in the remarks.

“What a misery of thought and reasoning. God what a low level,” one account said.

While another agreed with Sanguiliano: “Italian public museums exist for us, not for foreign tourists, Minister.”

Since his appointment as the culture minister, Sanguiliano has also revived a contentious plan to start charging those visiting the Pantheon in Rome which was previously scrapped by a former culture minister in 2018. As a place of worship the former Roman temple is free to visit, however talks are underway between the ministry and the Catholic church over the proposed €2 admission.

Sanguiliano’s remarks are the latest contribution to the new direction of the Italian government which changed hands in October last year when the leader of far-right Brothers of Italy party Georgia Meloni came to power.

Since then the party has vowed to, “defend Italy’s historic memory,” and to combat the “intolerable and widespread anti-Western ideology of cancel culture.”

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Art Gallery Gennaro Sanguiliano italy