The cultural assets of the Municipality have been entrusted to Asti Musei for another 5 years

The debate

The agreement was renewed, but the opposition in the Council attacked roles, responsibilities and the ceiling on reimbursements

With a vote of the Municipal Council (19 in favour, 3 against and 6 abstentions) the five-year agreement between the Municipality and the Asti Musei Foundation for the management of cultural and museum heritage was renewed. An agreement born in October 2018 when the Rasero administration decided to entrust the majority of its museum centers and collections to Asti Musei. There are three main innovations included in the agreement, as explained by the Councilor for Culture Paride Candelaresi.

«The Municipality – he announces – will be able to use the spaces given to the Foundation upon request, when needed; a coordination table is created which can be convened by both parties, composed of two entities representing the Municipality and two from Asti Musei, for greater coordination of activities; the Foundation will have to return up to 50,000 euros per year to the Municipality, deducting ordinary administration costs, to cover the costs”. But, for the minority councilors, there are many aspects of the document that deserved greater analysis in the specific council commission, rarely convened, to discuss, facts and figures in hand, the balance sheet of the first 5 years of partnership.

«Cultural and artistic choices must be reserved to the City Council and not to the Foundation’s activity itself – observes councilor Migliasso (Asti Oltre) – this is why it is important that we have access to the documents with all the transparency required».

Without director and scientific committee

For Miroglio (Verdi Asti) «it is necessary to address the reporting of the first 5 years not only of the tourist or economic results, but also of the social and cultural effects». «There is a lack of a boss (in Asti Musei ed.), a management, an explicit manager with specific skills – adds Miroglio – and I don’t know what type of training the staff who open and close the museums have». Even for Bosia (United we can) «there is no director and a scientific committee and it is time for the Foundation to pay someone to take care of this». Doubts about a possible conflict of competences were expressed by councilor Vercelli (Pd) regarding the presence of a Board of Directors, with a member representing the Municipality and the new parallel table. «I appreciate the idea of ​​establishing this body, – comments Vercelli – but then what is the Board of Directors for? And the mayor’s delegate on the Council?

Doubts were then expressed from many quarters about the expected reimbursement of expenses, up to 50,000 euros, in favor of the Municipality. «In 2022 – recalls Migliasso – Asti Musei incurred 63,500 euros for maintenance costs plus another 95,000 for energy». He figures that, in fact, far exceeds the expected ceiling and therefore would not oblige Asti Musei to return anything. But the offices explain that the agreement is exclusively for the movable and immovable assets of the Municipality (therefore excluding Palazzo Mazzetti which belongs to the CrAsti Foundation) and that the electricity is already paid for by the public body. For this reason, ordinary management costs would be less than 50,000 euros and the margin could be collected by the municipal body.

The president of the Culture Commission Roberto Venturini (Brothers of Italy) defended the novelties of the agreement: «Before the 50,000 euros weren’t there, now the mayor has brought them home after a long negotiation. The new commission, made up of the two best elements of the Municipality and the Foundation, can establish some guidelines, but I would agree with the minority when they say “if we could have a scientific committee”. However, we need money that isn’t there, but it’s a good start.”