by Redazione 13/10/2026

Seven cultural associations are challenging the procedures for launching the international competition for a new museum facility at Villa Borghese. Their criticism focuses on the management entrusted to Proger Spa and the lack of transparency regarding the project and&a

Seven cultural associations are contesting the manner in which the international architectural competition was launched for a new museum facility to be integrated into the Villa Borghese exhibition complex, intended for the Borghese Gallery in Rome. In a joint statement, the associations Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli, Italia Nostra Roma, Gruppo dei Romanisti, Amici di Villa Borghese, Carteinregola-ODV, Amici dei Musei di Roma, and ICOM Italia express “deep dismay” at having learned only by chance of the launch of the initiative—managed by the private company Proger Spa and concerning a public cultural asset.

The competition is scheduled to be announced on October 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., during a press conference at the Casa dell’Architettura, located at the headquarters of the Order of Architects of Rome and Province, at Piazza Manfredo Fanti 47. The associations note that as early as May 2026, cultural associations, art historians, museum experts, and citizens had expressed opposition to the call for proposals, which at the time called for the design of a museum structure “adjacent to the Borghese Gallery.” Detailed comments had been submitted regarding both the procedures and the substance of the initiative, citing national regulations. According to the signatories, these objections were not followed by any statements from the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for protecting the property and is its owner.

Facade of the Borghese Gallery. Photo: Luciano Romano ©Borghese Gallery

The press release reiterates that the Borghese Gallery is a public asset and that those who administer it must respect the regulations and the limits of their authority. In this regard, reference is made to Prime Ministerial Decree 57/2024, Article 24, and Ministerial Decree 270/2024: According to the associations’ interpretation, the directors of institutions with special autonomy, such as the Borghese Gallery, are responsible for the protection of movable cultural property, while matters pertaining to immovable cultural property fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Superintendences for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, subject to formal agreement with the museum’s management.

The signatories also consider it implausible to launch a design competition for an “autonomous and integrated” structure—to be built in a public space or within an existing building—without disclosing the overall plan for the project. The rationale is unclear, and, as far as the associations are aware, prior authorization from the Ministry of Culture is lacking. Finally, the statement requests clarification on whether the new building—presented in the May 18 document as a means to make the heritage “even more accessible and understandable”— with fewer limitations on time, space, and works to view, is intended to transfer part of the works currently on display at the Villino Borghese, thereby doubling the duration of visits and the number of admissions.

The associations consider this prospect incompatible with the nature of the Gallery, defined not simply as a museum but as an historic private collection acquired by the state, which must be preserved in its entirety alongside the expansions already completed and any improvements to accessibility within the building. For a project of this magnitude, they conclude, management should fall to the relevant public agency, not to a private company such as Proger Spa, whose role is deemed unusual given the apparent absence of the responsible ministerial bodies.

Galleria Borghese: Seven Organizations Challenge the RFP for the New Museum Facility

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