Who authorized the Vitruvian Man censored in the RAI commercial? Question to the Ministry

Landing at the Ministry of Culture is the issue concerning the use of the image of Leonardo da Vinci ’sVitruvian Man within a commercial dedicated to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, currently broadcast by Rai with daily programming and repeated several times throughout the day. A writ of inspection, submitted in the form of a question for written answer, seeks formal clarification onwhether or not authorization was granted for the use of the work and the conditions that would have governed its reproduction.

The focus of the question is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s best-known drawings, which is kept at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, an institution that holds responsibility for it and protects it under the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code. The parliamentary document recalls how theVitruvian Man is subject to specific regulatory provisions governing the reproduction, dissemination and any possible reworking of the image, including promotional and television purposes.

According to RAI’s statement, the material used for the commercial was allegedly produced by Olympic Broadcasting Services, the facility responsible for producing the official images of the Olympic Games. The broadcaster would therefore have broadcast content produced by a third party, without direct involvement in the original production of the images. However, it remains to be clarified who formally requested and obtained any permission to reproduce the work and what administrative process was followed. The question also points out that the repeated airing of the commercial, in terms of frequency and duration, constitutes a systematic and not occasional use of the image of Leonardo’s drawing. It is precisely this continuous nature of the broadcast that is one of the elements on which the request for clarification focuses: in fact, it asks whether the current use can be considered fully compliant with current regulatory provisions, also in light of the intensity and repetitiveness of the television broadcast.

In detail, the Ministry of Culture is asked whether it has authorized the use of the image of theVitruvian Man in the promotional spot for the Winter Olympics currently broadcast by RAI. In case of an affirmative answer, the question solicits information on how the authorization would be granted, what economic conditions, if any, are involved, and what limits are set, including the possibility of graphic adaptations or changes from the original image. A further point concerns the identification of the entity that would formally submit the request for authorization: the RAI, Olympic Broadcasting Services, or other possible intermediaries. Clarification is also requested as to what administrative procedure was followed to authorize the use of the image in accordance with the protective legislation.

The inspection act also extends to the more general plan of safeguarding the image of the work. It asks what steps the Ministry is taking to ensure the correct representation of theVitruvian Man in the editorial and digital spheres, and what measures it intends to take to ensure the application of regulations to protect the national cultural heritage in similar cases. The reference is to the need to supervise the effective compliance with the limits established by law, especially when dealing with works symbolic of Italian cultural identity. The case is part of a context in which images of cultural heritage are increasingly being used in large-scale communication campaigns, including those related to major international sporting events. Within this framework, the issue raised by the question concerns the relationship between the protection of cultural heritage, the exploitation of the image and the responsibility of those involved in the production and dissemination of the content. It will now be up to the Ministry to provide a written response clarifying whether the use of theVitruvian Man in the commercial for Milan-Cortina 2026 has been authorized, under what conditions and in compliance with what procedures.

Who authorized the Vitruvian Man censored in the RAI commercial? Question to the Ministry

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