The Italian state museum system has entered a new era of transparency and strategic insight, thanks to the recent release of both a comprehensive White Paper and the first public database covering national museums. These two tools, presented jointly by a cultural-promotion group and a university, offer a structured, data-driven portrait of nearly three decades (1996–2023) of museum activity in Italy.
The database integrates visitor numbers, ticket and additional-service revenues (such as audio guides, gift shops, cafés), royalties from concessionaires, and historical tourism and demographic data – all in one open platform. The White Paper provides context and interpretation, while the database functions as a continuously updated digital archive that scholars, museum directors, policymakers and cultural professionals can use to support decisions on management, funding and long-term planning.
