Musei ecclesiastici e musei diocesani, un patrimonio radicato e diffuso nel territorio, tra opportunità di sviluppo e rischio di marginalità

Ecclesiastic institutions are the custodians of an immense and precious heritage of cultural, historical and artistic expression, that in the last decades has been the subject of an important process of valorisation, assuming a relevant role in Italy’s religious and social spheres. Within the cultural heritage economics field, the management of the Church’s heritage comes with some critiques, and, at the same time, opens new prospects, because of the specific elements that characterize it. Starting from this premise, this work identifies the main strengths and weaknesses that affect the development of ecclesiastic and diocesan museums which are distinguished from the other types of museums for some characteristic traits reflected in their 'mission-governance and accountability'. The paper proposes a critical evaluation of this process, reflecting on the diffusion of models of development that are consistent with the institutions’ pastoral needs and allow them to pursue the necessary conditions to avoid the risk that such museums become (or remain) confined to a minor role in the Country’s broader cultural and museological context.