ABSTRACT
In Italy, the cuts that hit public expenditure on culture with particular severity in the last few years are nothing new; it is a trend that started in the mid-90s and not a temporary glitch. Globalization has brought new challenges - and not only for the industrial and financial world - to which state-funded public institutions, unlike the market-oriented cultural industry, are scarcely able to respond. The world of culture must find new ways to cut the Gordian knots of cultural policy, thus restoring legitimacy to its claim to public funding. Expenditure on culture needs to boost its economic value, proving itself to be a driving force of economic growth, especially in those of our towns that are genuine repositories of culture and boast a valuable asset in the form of a vibrant creative class. Policies which equate urban development with culture are needed.
