The government has always been responsible for national cultural institutions which include: the State Museums (Guaita Castle, Cesta Castle with its Museum of Ancient Weapons, Pergami Palace, Saint Francis Museum and Art Gallery, Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery, Saint’s Basilica), the State Library and Archive, the Naturalist Centre and the Office for Social and Cultural Activities. The latter is responsible for theatres / cinemas and the Social Centres in Dogana and Fiorentino. Although the San Marino Music Institute and the University are partly autonomous from the Department of Education and from the Department of Culture and Tourism, they receive an annual State contribution and their activities are subject to the supervision of both Departments.
The State Archive is part of and receives funding from the Department of Culture and Tourism, whereas the Research Centre on Emigration, which is part of the San Marino University, has functional relations with the Department of Education and the Department of Culture and Tourism.
In San Marino, non governmental institutions do not have public responsibilities for taking initiatives. However, they may operate with the sponsorship, contribution and involvement of public institutions (Ministries, Departments or Offices…); in this case, when they submit or manage projects destined to society or intended to be developed outside the country, they have more responsibilities, which they share, however, with their public partners.
In 2010, the new exhibition hall in the SUMS Building, restructured according to international safety and technological standards imposed on museums for the borrowing of works, was inaugurated thanks to the joint financial contribution of the Ministries of Culture, Tourism and Territory. This new exhibition hall provides San Marino with a technically modern centre for high-level exhibitions and recently held the international exhibition of Impressionists (see chapter 1.1). With regard to other exhibition areas, the government hopes to soon recover the Ancient Monastery of Saint Claire (now the seat of the University), as well as the Pianello Cisterns (under Liberty Square, where the Government Building stands as the seat of the most important institutions of the Republic) (see chapter 7.3 concerning the proposed creation of an Arts Foundation). Annex “Z” to Budget Law no. 200/2011 – the “strategic development plan of the economic system”- provides for a series of interventions and restructuring works aimed at rearranging exhibitions areas. In March 2012, the government illustrated to the Heads of Parliamentary Groups present in Parliament the plan of investments to be made in public works, which includes the recovery of the “Logge dei Balestrieri”, located in the historic centre, where an exhibition hall of about 450 square metres could be realised to host important events and exhibitions. Public works included in the Strategic Plan approved in December 2011 will be financed not only with public resources, but also by exploiting new synergies between public and private entities and by increasing recourse to instruments provided for by San Marino legislation, such as project financing, assignment of public works and sponsorship contracts.
In 2010, a painters’ collective exhibition inaugurated the seat of the “Castellaccio”, which was restructured following the implementation of the Project “Castelli a Palazzo” (see chapter 1.2.2). This is an original exhibition place: a cave inside the “Castellaccio”, that is one of the three ancient fortresses of the Fiorentino Castle. On the initiative of the Township Council, the cave, once used to preserve food and as a shelter for horses, was made accessible and some paintings by resident artists were exhibited here.
In December 2011, “Spazio Onofri” was realised in the historic centre. This is an exhibition area completely dedicated to art in its manifold expressions.
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