Francesco Spano is the new director of Federculture

Francesco Spano has been officially appointed director of Federculture. The decision, ratified by the federation’s Board of Directors and Executive Council, comes at the end of a selection process launched last Oct. 28, conducted by an evaluation committee. With the unanimous approval of the governing bodies, Spano takes over the role that had been held for the past five years by Umberto Croppi, who led the federation during a crucial phase for culture and public policy in Italy. Spano thus comes to Federculture following his very brief experience as chief of staff to Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli.

Federculture President Andrea Cancellato, in wishing the new director well in his work, on behalf of all the members, said he was “very pleased that the Federation can avail itself of a figure of great experience and professional competence in our sector such as that of Francesco Spano, who will certainly bring a strengthening of institutional and associative activities. I want to thank personally, as well as on behalf of the Associates and our governing bodies, the outgoing director Umberto Croppi, who in recent years has worked with great commitment, loyalty and dedication for the Federation, representing a valuable point of reference for the entire membership base and contributing decisively to the growth, authority and prestige of Federculture.”

The new Director, who will take office operationally as of January 1, 2025, for his part said, “First of all, I would like to thank President Cancellato and all the members of the Board and Council of Federculture who wanted to call me to this new position. Federculture has the peculiarity of representing the richness and plurality of an important part of Italian cultural actors, starting with the value of the professionalism expressed in the different territorial and managerial contexts that the Federation has been able and will be able to aggregate and support. A stimulating challenge for me that starts from the serious and rigorous work done so far by those who have preceded me and to continue which we can continue to count on a national team of formidable professionals.”

Profile of Francesco Spano

Born in 1977, Francesco Spano boasts a distinguished academic and professional resume. A graduate in Law, he holds a PhD from the Scuola Sant’Anna in Pisa, a path he enriched with periods of study at the Catholic University of Paris and the School of Law at UC Berkeley, California.

Spano is no stranger to academia: he has taught as an adjunct professor at leading universities such as Siena, Pisa and La Sapienza in Rome. He has held senior management positions at the Ministry of the Interior, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Culture, acquiring cross-cutting skills ranging from public policy to the management of cultural institutions.

Among his most significant assignments, Spano was secretary general of the Human Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting social innovation and sustainability. Another key part of his path was the position of Secretary General of the MAXXI Foundation, the Museum of the Arts of the 21st Century, during the presidency of Giovanna Melandri and, later, Alessandro Giuli.

A consolidated link with Federculture

Spano’s arrival at the direction of Federculture is not a first. In the past, he has already worked with the federation in various roles, including as a member of the negotiating delegation for the renewal of the National Collective Labor Agreement (CCNL), as well as having been part of the Executive Council and Executive Board.

Francesco Spano’s appointment comes at a time in history when culture is taking on an increasingly central role in the country’s social and economic development. Federculture, which brings together entities and organizations committed to the enhancement of cultural heritage, is counting on a guide capable of tackling the new challenges posed by the sector, from digitization to the economic sustainability of cultural institutions. With Spano’s arrival, the federation aims to consolidate its role as a privileged interlocutor in cultural policies, fostering public-private synergies and promoting innovation as a driver of sv

The work done by Umberto Croppi, who has headed Federculture for the past five years, should not be forgotten. Under his leadership, the federation has gone through a complex phase, characterized by the pandemic crisis and its profound repercussions on the cultural sector.

Francesco Spano is the new director of Federculture

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