Sangiuliano-Boccia case, what we know so far

What is happening at the Ministry of Culture around the figure of Maria Rosaria Boccia, who for days has been at the center of a case involving Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano and his staff? The affair jumped to everyone’s attention a week ago, when Dagospia, on August 26, devoted an article to the 41-year-old native of Pompeii who for several months has not missed an opportunity to post, on her Instagram account, photographs of her together with Minister Sangiuliano.

The first image to date that can be traced is a selfie from May 25, where Boccia is pictured together with the minister in Naples. Another selfie on May 29. On May 3, he is photographed around a table with the mayor of Naples, Carmelo Lo Sapio, and Minister Sangiuliano with this description, “Today at the Municipality of Pompeii we met with the Minister of Culture for the opening of the G7 of Culture.” On June 4, he accompanied Sangiuliano on a visit to Pompeii. On the same day another photo, with the minister and the director of the Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Boccia often alongside the two. On June 19 another selfie, at the Herculaneum Archaeological Park. On June 23 she is together with Sangiuliano in Taormina (in one photo she is also at the table with him, at lunch). On July 3 he sits to the right of Sangiuliano at a press conference at the Chamber, titled “The politics of municipalities at the service of culture and beauty: the case of Pompeii.” On July 13 he is with the minister again, in Riva Ligure. July 18, he posts video of an official visit by Sangiuliano to Forte Santa Tecla in Sanremo, and Boccia is with him again. July 23, again in Pompeii, at the ceremony of handing over the keys of the city to the minister. On August 3, he is instead with Sangiuliano at the Brera Art Gallery, as part of a visit with director Angelo Crespi to the Palazzo Citterio construction site. The most recent image is a photograph with the minister, dated Aug. 26, under which Boccia writes, “Thank you to Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano for the appointment as adviser to the Minister for Major Events.”

And it is around this appointment that part of the affair is unfolding. Sangiuliano has not yet leaked any comment on the affair. The point is that, as of yet, there is no official appointment for Boccia, despite the many pictures of her accompanying the minister. In what capacity is she accompanying him? Who covers his travel expenses? What role does he play in the ministry? These are the questions everyone is asking. “A little mystery,” journalist Marianna Aprile called it in the episode of In onda broadcast Thursday, Aug. 29, on La7. “A consultant? A collaborator? An employee of the ministry? The question,” says Elena Testi, who covered the case in the same broadcast, “began to circulate after Maria Rosaria Boccia thanked Sangiuliano directly on social media for her appointment as adviser to the minister for major events.” During the episode of On Air, Andrea Petrella, head of the ministry’s press office, who was reached by Testi (after several unsuccessful attempts to speak with the direct interested party), spoke during the episode and denied Boccia’s appointment. “There is no nomination,” Petrella said. Why then does Boccia insist? “I can’t answer that,” Petrella said, “There is no nomination. She is obviously someone who wants to be credited. I became aware of this lady’s affairs through the photos that bounced around in online news outlets.” The next day, Maria Rosaria Boccia, through stories and then Instagram posts, began posting pictures that would instead attest to contacts between her and Petrella.

In short, it is clear that Maria Rosaria Boccia is frequenting the ministry. In addition, today’s news, La Stampa, in an article signed by Niccolò Carratelli, gives an account of “written communications from the top management of the excavations [ed. note, the Pompeii Archaeological Park],” which the Turin-based newspaper claims to have been able to verify, “in which sensitive security issues, such as the accesses and movements of the G7 ministers, are also communicated and summarized. Boccia is always among the recipients, but it is not clear in what capacity, given that from the offices of via del Collegio Romano they have strongly denied any official role of his, even if only as an external consultant.” A thesis that, says Carratelli, “is difficult to support, given that for many months she has been (now perhaps it is the case to speak in the past tense) a regular presence on Sangiuliano’s staff.” Moreover, the day before, August 31, Carmelo Caruso published an article in Il Foglio in which it was revealed that Boccia was involved in the organization of the G7 Culture in Pompeii, and where it was stated that “the same ministry now admits that Boccia participated in preparatory meetings for the G7 and cannot ’exclude that she received emails from officials.’” The case has also led the Democratic Party and Italia Viva to submit parliamentary questions asking for enlightenment from Minister Sangiuliano.

While waiting for the case to take on clearer contours, it is possible to take a look at Boccia’s resume. Born in Pompeii on July 11, 1983, she attended the Pascal High School in Pompeii, where she graduated in 2001, and then obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Naples Parthenope in 2005 and another degree, in Economics and Management, from the Pegaso Telematic University in 2023. Boccia’s Linkedin professional profile reveals an eclectic personality: she worked as the owner of a clothing store (Boccia Intimo e Mare from 2002 to 2006, then Boccia Fashion Donna from 2009 to 2013), after which, from 2012 to 2020, she owned “Maria Rosaria Boccia Couture,” a formal wear atelier. In parallel, from 2013 to 2022, she holds the position of president of an association, “Fashion Week Milano Moda” (which, however, as the Fashion Chamber has already clarified in recent days, has nothing to do with Milan Fashion Week), and in the meantime she also works as an event organizer: her resume includes one in 2018 (“The Redheads in Pink - Fashion, Music, Motors,” in Cetara), one in 2020 (“Mediterranean from Capri to Carthage,” in Capri), one in 2022 (“Mediterranean Health,” in Rome), three in 2023 (“Wedding Surgery - Aesthetic Medicine and New Trends” and “Mediterranean Diet and Cancers,” in Rome, and “Grand Gala of the Sea,” in Capri), and two in 2024 (“Festival of Italian Cuisine” and “Festival of Beauty” in San Remo, and “Festival of Beauty in Pompeii”). From 2022 to 2024 he then owns a company, Cult Communication srl, and since 2017 he also appears as a fashion consultant for the Christmas Concert at the Vatican and for the Sanremo Festival orchestra (since 2018). Finally, since spring 2024, two lectureships have also appeared on his resume, one at the University of Naples Federico II (for the master’s degree in aesthetic medicine, subject “Communication Sciences and Digital Media”), and one at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli (for the master’s degree in dietetics, subject “communication planning and marketing between ethics and deontology”).

Sangiuliano-Boccia case, what we know so far

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