The work analyses the structural characteristics of the vast Italian cultural heritage, comparing them with those of the other main European countries. The main critical issues are illustrated, distinguishing between factors related to conservation, accessibility, orientation towards visitors and the ability to relate with external stakeholders. Employing microdata from the Istat census, we study the factors behind the performance of cultural institutions in different outcome areas.
The results indicate that the effectiveness of management of cultural heritage falls short of its potential. The econometric analysis of the determinants of museum performance suggests that greater autonomy tends to generally correspond to better results, regardless of the public or private nature of the institution. The legislative measures that, since 2014, have conferred a special autonomy on some museums have contributed to improving the performance of the sites concerned
