Italian Museum President Steps Down After Controversy Surrounding Giorgia Meloni Image
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The president of an Italian museum has resigned following a backlash from Giorgia Meloni’s hard right Brothers of Italy over a picture he posted on Instagram. Luca Dell’Atti, president of the Museum of Pre-classical Civilisations of Southern Murgia in Ostuni, posted an upside-down photo of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on the social media platform, recalling for many the sight of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini strung up by his feet following his execution.
Dell’Atti was in post for a month-and-a-half after being appointed to the museum—where displays of archaeological artefacts include a human skeleton believed to date back 28,000 years—shortly after Christmas last year.
The now-former president announced his resignation in a note on Wednesday, stating: “With reference to the well-known events of the past few days that have seen me personally subjected to an intolerable media pillory, to protect my personal serenity, and the honourability of my conduct and my name […], I hereby resign as president of the museum”.
The row erupted on Monday after Dell’Atti posted an inverted image of Meloni with tears streaming down her face on his Instagram page. The original image, taken as Meloni participated in a remembrance ceremony commemorating the victims of the foibe massacres had initially appeared on Brothers of Italy’s Twitter page.
In recent years, numerous left-wing activists, politicians, and academics have inverted images of representatives of Brothers of Italy, the political party led by Meloni that has roots in the Italian Social Movement. The inverted images have been interpreted as a reference to Mussolini’s corpse hung in Milan’s Piazzale Loreto after Italian partisans executed him in 1945.
Dell’Atti’s version drew swift condemnation, with calls for his removal from various politicians. The researcher swiftly apologized, but the controversy continued to build, leading to his resignation.
After Dell’Atti stepped down on Wednesday, the left-wing mayor of Ostuni thanked him, hoping to close the unpleasant affair and re-establish a more serene political climate.
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Elara Voss, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s in Fine Art. She specializes in contemporary sculpture and installation art, exploring themes of nature and human interaction. Elara’s works have been featured in several group exhibitions across Europe, and she is currently working on her first solo show.