The latest Censis report on museums highlights new forms of cultural expression in which production organisations play a significant role

Culture takes on diverse and ever-changing forms, and cultural venues must adapt in line with the evolving needs of their purpose. It is a journey that touches on virtually all the cultural spheres that characterise the country today, including museums. These are becoming places not only for the conservation and transmission of heritage, whether historical or artistic, but also spaces in which cultural expression in its various forms can flourish. It is therefore a broader social function that complements the traditional tasks of the museum system. Incidentally, this role also applies to organisations that seek to tell their own stories through museums and archives. These organisations are playing an increasingly significant role within the national museum system. More generally, however, cultural venues are becoming spaces for experience, well-being, participation, and engagement with the local area.

These themes form the basis of ‘Musei di vetro’ (Museums of glass), a report compiled by Censis and presented a few days ago. The survey shows that a large proportion of Italians (43%) still regard the preservation and protection of artistic heritage as the primary purpose of museums. However, a further 34.9% recognise above all its role in education and the transmission of knowledge. However, what matters most, as revealed by the Censis research, is the sense of personal growth and the opportunities that visiting museums brings.  89% of Italians believe that spending money on cultural experiences is more important than buying luxury goods, while 86.7% think that improving their cultural knowledge could boost their career prospects. Furthermore, 83.5% consider culture to be essential in shaping their identity.

Education and culture, then, and personal growth in every respect, including in the context of work. It is this combination of work and entrepreneurial ingenuity that has long been most vividly expressed in corporate museums. And the Censis report captures this effectively. Admittedly, most people have not yet visited one of these establishments, but 87.4% see corporate museums as a means of preserving a region’s memory and identity. A similar proportion believes that they can effectively showcase Italian expertise, whilst around 80% are used to pass on skills and trades to younger generations.

This is a culture of craftsmanship and entrepreneurial ingenuity, a tangible regional and community heritage that is not gathering dust, but is alive and well. This living legacy is essential for development, even today, and appears to be present in the museums described by Censis. The report states:  ‘Today, the corporate museum serves to cement the brand’s identity and anchor it to the local area and community, not least through proactive corporate social responsibility initiatives.’ And further:  ‘The present-day corporate museum is a strategic space that straddles the worlds of culture and industrial production. It plays an increasingly central role in shaping shared identities and values within a society that is ever more keen to rediscover some of the long-hidden threads of the country’s recent history.’

Musei di vetro. Il nuovo rapporto degli italiani con i luoghi della cultura (Italians’ new relationship with cultural sites)

Various authors

Censis, 2026