Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has appointed Fulvio Adamo Macciardi as Superintendent of Naples’ Teatro San Carlo Foundation, overriding objections from Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi. The ministry confirmed the appointment followed a proposal from the Foundation’s Steering Committee, which yesterday recommended Macciardi—former superintendent of Bologna’s municipal theater—despite only three of its five members endorsing the decision.
Mayor Manfredi, who chairs the Foundation, immediately contested the move, declaring the committee meeting invalid and announcing plans to appeal the appointment decree to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR). This sets the stage for renewed political and legal conflict over the management of one of the world’s oldest opera houses, echoing the high-profile dispute two years ago involving former superintendent Stephane Lissner.
The rift deepened yesterday when Manfredi abruptly canceled a Steering Committee meeting to review candidate qualifications while attending government business in Rome. Three committee members—Gianfranco Nicoletti, Marilù Faraone Mennella (ministry appointees), and Riccardo Realfonzo (regional representative)—proceeded regardless, selecting 66-year-old Milanese veteran Macciardi for a five-year term.
Macciardi had long been the ministry’s preferred candidate, contrasting with Manfredi’s support for other nominees. The four-month deadlock was broken by an unprecedented alliance between ministry delegates and representatives of Campania Governor Vincenzo De Luca—notable given De Luca’s strained relations with the center-right. The governor bluntly stated: “San Carlo has been adrift for four months. How much longer should we wait?”
Minister Giuli’s formal endorsement defied the mayor’s opposition, prompting the theater’s auditors to challenge Macciardi’s appointment as “legally and administratively void.” The Democratic Party (PD) and Five Star Movement (M5s) had preemptively condemned the move as “contempt for rules,” urging avoidance of political interference in the theater’s future.
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