A state-run institute’s Pride evening at Palazzo Poli has prompted a formal inquiry from culture minister Alessandro Giuli. He says he was not informed and considers the event at odds with the museum’s purpose.
The Istituto Centrale per la Grafica — a state cultural institute housed in the monumental Palazzo Poli, overlooking Rome’s Trevi Fountain — is holding an evening event on Friday 19 June titled Grafica Pride, timed to fall on the eve of Roma Pride 2026.
Running from 8pm to 11pm, the evening covers themes of inclusion, gender identity and LGBTQ+ culture, with a particular focus on visitors under 30. The programme includes a presentation of the book Musei, genere e queerness (Museums, Gender and Queerness), a talk titled L’amore che non osa dire il suo nome (The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name) featuring two queer performers, and a DJ set. Tickets cost €5 for under-30s and €10 for older visitors.
Promotion of the event shows the Trevi Fountain illuminated in rainbow colours. It is positioned by the institute as part of a broader institutional renewal under director Fabio De Chirico.
It follows a successful exhibition on Flemish artist Maarten van Heemskerck that drew more than 7,000 visitors before closing in early June.
Catholic pressure group cause a fuss
The event became the subject of a political storm after the conservative Catholic pressure group Pro Vita & Famiglia condemned it as an unacceptable use of public money. Spokesman Jacopo Coghe said that what was planned at Palazzo Poli on 19 June was “what one would have expected under a far-left government, not a centre-right one.” He went on to call it a “disgraceful squandering of Italian taxpayers’ money.”
Pro Vita raised pointed questions about the institute’s finances. According to the group, the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica receives around €800,000 in direct ministry funding for ordinary operations, while its own ticketing income for the entire year amounts to just €2,000. Around €88,000 is for cultural events — the budget from which Grafica Pride would draw. The group demanded urgent clarification from the culture minister on how the initiative related to the institute’s statutory purposes and on what basis speakers and themes were selected.
Culture Minister’s response
Culture minister Alessandro Giuli said he was “astonished” to learn of Grafica Pride. News agency Adnkronos reported he had only become aware of the initiative through media reports on the day the controversy broke.
While acknowledging that the event appeared to be procedurally above reproach, Giuli said he considered it “inconsistent” with his expectations for the work of the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, “both scientifically and in terms of cultural promotion.”
He expressed surprise that neither the Directorate General of Museums, the Head of Department, the minister’s chief of staff, “nor the minister himself” had been involved in or notified of the initiative. He confirmed that a formal inquiry was under way.
Three members of the institute’s board of directors — Angelo Mellone, Paolo Corsini and Gianfranco Ferroni — had separately written to the minister to express their disagreement with how the institute was being managed.
The Institute’s position
The Istituto Centrale per la Grafica is a prestigious public museum and research centre dedicated to preserving and promoting historic prints and drawings. Amongst its archives are works by Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea Mantegna. In its press release for Grafica Pride, the institute described the event as reflecting its desire “to be not only a place of conservation and research, but also a space for reflection and discussion on the issues affecting our time.”
As many historians believe Leonardo da Vinci was gay – based on his 1476 sodomy trial, lack of heterosexual relationships, and his lifelong companionship with younger male apprentices like Salai – it would not necessarily be out of keeping.
