Ravenna, National Museum lacks volunteers: institute forced to close 5 days out of 7

It officially reopened its doors last July 3, but visitors can only enter it on Tuesdays and Fridays: this is happening at the National Museum of Ravenna, one of the most important museums in northern Italy (it is a landmark for art of the late Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as having a very important collection of ivories and icons). The institute is forced to close its doors for as many as five days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays, because it lacks volunteers. It seems incredible that this could happen in a museum that is a calling card for Italy’s capital of Byzantine art, but it does.

When asked by the public, on the official Facebook page, about why the museum is open for only two days a week, the museum staff laconically replied that the problem is “staff shortage.” Actually, nothing new compared to the pre-Covid period, because the staffing gaps were the same even before the closure due to the health emergency. But there is one key detail that has changed: the Auser volunteers, who used to serve at the museum, in the post-Covid period no longer guarantee their activities. It is easily deduced that the opening of the museum rested on the very unsound foundation of volunteer service.

But there is not only the problem of volunteers not being able to enter service. In a note, the museum explained that “the volunteer is never a priority component at our sites but a valuable resource.” There are other problems: “the museum,” the document says, “cannot hire: one becomes an assistant supervisor (as well as an official) only by preparing for and passing an open competition.” What’s more, the competition for the 1,052 attendants has been blocked precisely because of the health emergency. And again, “the number of janitors,” the museum points out, “has halved in recent years. No competition = no replacement of retirees.” And janitors, the museum adds, “serve on a rotating basis on all monuments under MiBACT’s jurisdiction in Ravenna. To ensure the regular opening of the most visited sites, the openings of other monuments have been reduced. A matter of a short blanket....” Finally, staffing, the museum concludes, “has unfortunately been further reduced due to Covid-19.”

In short, in the absence of janitors and in a situation of serious impasse, the issue is clear: no volunteers, no museum open. A situation that is unfortunately becoming increasingly untenable.

Pictured is the National Museum of Ravenna. Ph. Credit Finestre Sull’Arte

Ravenna, National Museum lacks volunteers: institute forced to close 5 days out of 7

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