Agreement between Ministry of Culture and Interior Ministry for the enhancement of the Worship Buildings Fund

A new Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Culture was signed on March 25 at the Viminale with the aim of strengthening institutional collaboration in the protection, preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage belonging to the Worship Buildings Fund, which is part of the Ministry of the Interior.

The agreement was signed by Rosanna Rabuano, head of the Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration, and Luigi La Rocca, head of the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, and is an update of the agreement already initiated between the two administrations in 2013. The protocol introduces a structured and permanent collaboration between the two ministries, with the aim of ensuring the preservation of the material integrity of the assets, their functional efficiency and full usability by the community. Planned activities include study, prevention, planned maintenance and restoration, to be carried out with respect for the historical, artistic and cultural characteristics of the assets.

At the center of the agreement is the heritage of the Worship Buildings Fund, a complex of extraordinary value that includes 869 buildings of worship distributed throughout the country. In addition to these are movable works of art, archaeological sites, museums and an important ancient book collection, all of which are subject to the discipline of the Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape.

The Worship Buildings Fund, through the proceeds from the valorization of its assets, contributes directly to their protection and conservation, working in close synergy with the institutes of the Ministry of Culture. The new protocol fits into this framework by strengthening operational tools and improving coordination arrangements between the two administrations.

In addition to protection and restoration interventions, the agreement provides for the definition of common strategies for heritage enhancement. Among the planned actions is the promotion of the inclusion of the assets of the Worship Buildings Fund in cultural initiatives and events organized or sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, with the aim of increasing their visibility and accessibility.

Another area of collaboration concerns cataloging and inventorying activities, as well as the management of historical documentation related to the assets. This is a fundamental step to ensure a thorough knowledge of the heritage and to support more effective and targeted conservation interventions.

The permanent duration of the agreement underscores the institutions’ desire to consolidate this synergy over time, recognizing the strategic value of the heritage of the Worship Buildings Fund not only from a historical and artistic point of view, but also as a cultural resource for communities. The agreement thus represents a significant step toward a more integrated and coordinated management of a widespread and complex heritage, with the aim of ensuring its long-term protection and promoting its increasingly broad and informed use by the public.

Agreement between Ministry of Culture and Interior Ministry for the enhancement of the Worship Buildings Fund

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