The Minister of Culture reflects on the considerations put forward by Andrea Carandini in the «Corriere». The virtuous synthesis between memory and progress is possible. In cities and in the territory
With the text we publish below, the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, responds to the article by Andrea Carandini published in the «Corriere della Sera» of Thursday 7 November, entitled «We are history. Let’s tell it.” The thesis of Carandini, an eminent archaeologist, is that Italian cities are living contexts and must be enhanced with museums that illustrate their history, heritage and specificities, starting from Rome and Naples. Among Carandini’s observations: «All political parties should seize the good from the past, discarding the proven evil, to build a future worthy or better than the most fortunate seasons, dividing themselves on the proportions to be given to tradition and progress and exercising - beyond criticism also radical – the lost revolutionary virtue of fraternité”.
I maintain a debt of gratitude towards the Professor Carandini ever since, already nourished by the readings of his numerous writings, in the spring of 2008 I had the opportunity to converse with him in the Roman Forum (I would have reported on it in Giuliano Ferrara’s «Foglio») on the occasion of the release of his Remus and Romulus. From the Quirite districts to the Roman citypublished by Einaudi and dedicated to Angelo Brelich, student of Raffaele Pettazzoni, founder of the Roman historical-religious school: «My Brelich remains greater», he told me, confirming a dynamic and multidisciplinary approach to the study of antiquity. A modus operandi never separated from the desire to make itself available to the academic and institutional “judiciaries” of the Public Res contemporary (just reread as an example The new in Italy is in the pastinterview by Paolo Conti, Laterza, 2012).
After more than a decade – he in turn founder emeritus of a school of living archeology which finds a point of excellence in Paolo Carafa and his excavations in the Roman Lupercale, I have been Minister of Culture for two months – Carandini addressed me in this newspaper on Thursday 7 November some profound considerations that require careful attention. First of all, he goes to the heart of the idea that I tried to illustrate in the exposition of the general programmatic lines of the Mic, whose focal point consists precisely in the desire to overcome the “senseless opposition” between tradition and progress, in the attempt to conceive a synthesis between what until now – due to ideological compulsion and intellectual laziness – has been thought of in opposition. Carandini evokes an exemplary case of unresolved dialectics, that between freedom and equality, two fundamental and indispensable ideas of modernity, which however ended up tragically colliding during the twentieth century and which instead must today, in the light of a new awareness, find harmony and mutual measure due to the “lost revolutionary virtue of brotherhood”. It is the same urgency that I recalled, among other things, in my recent paper Gramsci is alive (Rizzoli), a pamphlet open to the debate of ideas in which I evoke the best shareholder culture of Gentile philosophical origin to overcome the inveterate fault line between a deaf progressivism, the enemy of memory as an inexhaustible source of our present (see most recently the Insane
In this respect the ideal consonance is complete; as well as a ditto feel is projected onto Carandin’s observation that «our cities are living contexts» and that «each deserves a museum that explains it», starting with Naples and Rome. Carandini maintains that everything is always contemporary, that the space of the present is simultaneously inhabited by both its past and the future, that it is not possible to imagine a future if one is not conscious curators of a tradition, not to adore its ashes but to safeguard its fire. But there is a way and way to do it. It is wrong to compress our gaze, our actions, to the museum petrification of silent “masterpieces venerated as fetishes”. Instead, it is essential to start from the assumption that “Italy is a huge open-air context” which still awaits to be told by an “archaeology of modernity” capable of coherently narrating its history and stratifications, with the aim of “protecting its gardens and furnishings”. All this, identifying great places to be restored and to which to return the word through images and three-dimensional writing supported by the latest generation technologies: from the Capitoline Crypta Balbi to the Albergo dei Poveri in Naples, the natural locations of the City Museums, a natural counterpoison to the current static dispersion and without “decryption” inflicted on the tourism of the “Small Tour” as well as on our compatriots. And what to do, then, with sites and monuments “protected but not adequately managed and valorised”?
Also in this case, inevitably, the Mic has decided to strengthen and speed up the recovery and relaunch plan of the excavated site of Daniele Manacorda in via delle Botteghe oscure; and to modify the project for the construction of the Albergo dei Poveri started with foresight by my predecessor according to the same canon of “innovative diachrony”. Objective: give life and light, precisely, to the Museum of Rome and that of Partenope.
Carandini then suggests establishing agreements with the FAI, which he already chairs, as cooperation model to help Italians «to be aware of several tens of thousands of unknown places». And here the idea of context returns to the center, the profound meaning of which lies in weaving together, intertwining, ideas and facts, places and stories. I have already had the opportunity to discuss with the current president of the FAI, Marco Magnifico, to proceed in this direction and evaluate the common management of the magnificent yet clandestine (albeit by its founding vocation) Pythagorean Basilica of Porta Maggiore in Rome and, where possible, of the «Borrominian» Villa-Park created and inhabited by the late Paolo Portoghesi with his wife Giovanna in Calcata (Viterbo). Thus the civic and landscape strength of the context re-emerges: the museums of the cities understood as spaces to reawaken the past and understand it in its contemporaneity and future projection (right next to the Crypt of Balbo, in the adjacent via Caetani, in 1978 the body of Aldo Moro; far from the site of the cesaricide of 44 BC).
How much to rural contexts, villages and urban suburbs, here too on one hand we should tell the story genius of the placeperhaps in the manner of Vernon Lee (The spirit of Rome1910), or rather let it resonate with the gaze of its origins:
Carandini’s intuitions have therefore led us to circumvent the polarization between metropolitan areas reduced to pure functionalism and depopulated internal areas; an urgency that is valid the reference to Adriano Olivetti, in whose social conception the “City of Man” is not a simple space for settlement but a goal, an ideal destination that cultural heritage, places of knowledge, architecture and urban planning, museums intended to tell the story , they can come true.
Lastly. Carandini’s requests offer me the opportunity to clarify mine reference to «Solar Thought» present in the speech at the last Buchmesse in Frankfurt, in which some jokes (always welcome) and certain out-of-focus slander, let’s say, arose. This expression, explicitly taken from Albert Camus (from The man in revolt A Summer and other solar essaysBompiani), was born from a Magno-Greek and Mediterranean sensibility which in the French philosopher found forced anti-Roman accents motivated by a totalitarian historical context (“Fascism made public use of history, manipulating it politically and cheating the Italians…” whereas ” the Republic of Rome represents the common background of all contemporary democratic-liberal experiences”, Carandini reminds us in the conversation with Paolo Conti). As far as I’m concerned, the ”Solar Thought” is nothing other than the Metaphysics (together logic, ethics and aesthetics) of Plato (428/7-348/7 BC), that is, the highest form of speculation concerning the science of being of all Western philosophical thought. In the work of the great Greek philosopher, in fact, the idea of Good (and The Republic the Sun is precisely a significant and perfect metaphor) coincides with those of True and Beautiful.
And since someone, flattering me beyond measure, has compared my person to that of Julian (332/1- 363 AD), Roman emperor and great Neoplatonic philosopher, I take this opportunity again to quote one of his masterly statements, significantly taken from the masterpiece A Helios King (or. 11, 132-c, trad. ed. Valla/Mondadori), written in the golden wake of Plato’s Good/Sun (Resp. VI 508-b, the passage of which is explicitly cited later). Here are Giuliano’s words: «This universe divine and absolutely splendid, which extends from the top of the celestial vault to the bottom of the earth, held together by the continuous providence of God, has existed uncreated from eternity and will exist forever in the future.” This vision of the uncreated cosmos, which I perfectly share, is accompanied by an intuition of eternity which is in antithesis both with biblical creationism and with the traditionalist cyclic-cosmological theories to which the thought of Julius Evola adhered.
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And ethics) of a cultural approach that embraces inclusivity and dialogue, rather than division and conflict. It is about recognizing the brilliance of human creativity and the importance of nurturing our shared heritage. This vision invites us to step beyond the ideological battles of the past, seeking instead to construct a narrative of unity and collaboration among diverse cultures and ideas.
Carandini’s observations about our cities being living contexts underline the critical role that history plays in shaping our contemporary identity. Urban environments are not merely backdrops for our lives; they are repositories of collective memory and lived experiences. When we engage with these spaces thoughtfully, we can unlock a deeper understanding of ourselves and our communities. By establishing museums and cultural programs that celebrate local narratives and histories, we foster a sense of belonging and ownership among residents.
The importance of local contexts cannot be overstated, particularly in rural villages and urban suburbs, where stories often remain untold. Drawing inspiration from figures like Adriano Olivetti, who envisioned places that prioritize human flourishing over mere functionality, we can reimagine how cultural heritage and contemporary life intersect. Rather than allowing rural areas to languish in neglect, we should seek ways to illuminate their unique strengths and stories, transforming them into vibrant centers of cultural activity.
In closing, the proposals put forth by Carandini resonate deeply with my vision for Italy’s cultural future. By embracing an approach grounded in collaboration, we can breathe new life into our historical sites and engage broader audiences in our cultural dialogue. The path forward requires us to honor the past while actively participating in the creation of a shared future, where every Italian, regardless of their background, can feel connected to the rich tapestry of our nation’s heritage. Together, let us embark on this journey of rediscovery and renewal, fostering a vibrant cultural landscape that inspires generations to come.