The investigations conducted by the Carabinieri’s Cultural Heritage Protection Unit, the Ministry of Culture, and the Campania Regional Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of Auditors into the managementof the State Archives of Naples have concluded. The investigation began following a wedding reception held in December 2024 at the facility on Via del Grande Archivio, in the heart of Naples’ historic center. At the conclusion of the preliminary investigation, investigators estimated the total financial loss to the state at over 613,000 euros, attributable to lost revenue for the state treasury. The then-director of the State Archives, Candida Carrino, has been served with a notice to respond: she now has forty-five days to clarify her position regarding the allegations against her.
It should be noted that these are, at this stage, preliminary investigations concerning alleged financial losses to the state related to the period between 2021 and 2024, and that the former director will have the opportunity to clarify her position in the coming weeks. To reconstruct the events in order, it all began in December 2024, following press reports regarding a private wedding reception held within venues of significant historical and artistic value. According to the account provided by journalist Giuseppe Letizia for the publication CronacheDi (the most comprehensive report released so far), the focus of the accounting investigators—along with subsequent reports from labor unions—gradually expanded to include an analysis of other events and conferences hosted by the institute during the four-year period between 2021 and 2024. According to reports from the Carabinieri, in several cases these involved free-of-charge concessions or rental fees deemed lower than the parameters set by ministerial regulations.
The investigations conducted by the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit in Naples revealed an alleged financial discrepancy between the amounts actually collected by the institute and the fees that, according to the relevant ministerial decrees and applicable fee schedules, should have been charged. With regard solely to the wedding at the center of the first report, CronacheDi reports that revenue was estimated to be approximately 35,000 euros lower than the amounts required under current regulations. The Public Prosecutor’s Office also highlighted that the stated goal of revitalizing and promoting the cultural value of the monument was not, in and of itself, sufficient to justify the reduction in the fees charged, in the absence of the required opinions from the relevant ministerial body and without actual verification that the regulatory requirements for carrying out institutional activities had been met.
Based on the evidence gathered, the public prosecutor in charge of financial matters therefore set a 45-day deadline for the submission of defense briefs and any supporting documentation, while also granting the party concerned the right to access the case file and request a personal hearing to present its case. The then-senior management of the State Archives of Naples was therefore notified of the request to submit their responses.
For her part, the former director rejected the allegations made by the Court of Auditors regarding the alleged financial loss of 613,000 euros, arguing that there was no loss to the public coffers and that, on the contrary, the organized events had generated revenue for the state. During discussions with the Ministry, the institution’s management stated that it had always assessed in advance whether the hosted initiatives were compatible with the historical and artistic character of the venue and with the objectives of preserving and promoting the assets held there. According to the administration’s own account, the decision to grant access to the museum spaces was also intended to pursue additional objectives, such as strengthening ties with the public, recognizing the State Archives’ role as a unifying force within a broader strategy to expand cultural offerings, revitalizing the institute’s historic complex, and increasing public access to the historic spaces. Management also clarified that most of the hosted events were organized in direct collaboration with the institution itself.
The Ministry of Culture, for its part, while acknowledging that initiatives such as conferences and social events cannot be considered a priori incompatible with the nature of the site, reiterated that some of the hosted events do not appear to meet the criterion of alignment with the institutional purposes of the State Archives of Naples, a requirement deemed necessary for the issuance of a free-of-charge concession. In essence, according to the Ministry’s position, this type of event would be permissible only on the condition that an adequate fee be paid.
The former director, however, rejected the Court of Auditors’ objections on their merits, arguing that granting use of the spaces did not result in any financial loss but, on the contrary, generated revenue for the state while simultaneously helping to revitalize the overall image of the historic complex. The former director’s defense also emphasizes that each event underwent a preliminary assessment to ensure its compatibility from a historical and artistic perspective, receiving favorable opinions regarding safety and the presence of ministry staff during the events. The technical assessments conducted during the investigation reportedly found no material damage to either the preserved heritage or the institute’s premises.
According to the defense’s account, opening the facility for conferences and other events was part of a specific strategy to enhance the site and return it to the public, with a view toward greater integration between the cultural heritage and the social fabric of the city.
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| Weddings and Events at the State Archives of Naples: Former Director Asked to Explain |
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