A 9K gold key, embellished with semi-precious stones and diamonds, designed to represent the Italian flag.
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A luxury item, worth almost 15 thousand euros, which the Municipality of Pompeii delivered as a gift to the then Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano during an official ceremony in July 2024.
A gesture of gratitude that today, however, is at the center of an investigation by the Court of Auditors, together with three other expensive gifts given by the Vesuvian Municipality to prominent personalities.
The Guardia di Finanza, on behalf of the Public Accounting Prosecutor's Office, notified requests for compensation for a total of 44 thousand euros.
The mayor of Pompeii, Carmine Lo Sapio, and two municipal managers are answerable for the expenses deemed "illegal and inadmissible": Vittorio Martino, general secretary, and Salvatore Petirro, responsible for purchasing. The investigation, coordinated by the prosecutor Raffaella Miranda, points the finger at opaque management and irregular procedures.
The gifts under accusation
In addition to the key donated to Sangiuliano, the Public Prosecutor's Office led by Antonio Giuseppone is contesting three other gifts: a second key to the city, handcrafted in gold and weighing approximately 150 grams, given to the former Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini, with the coat of arms of Pompeii and the initials of the honorable (cost: 24 thousand euros); a steel watch given to the former director of the Pompeii excavations, Massimo Osanna, now a manager at the Ministry of Culture (another object included in the 24 thousand euros); and a gold rosary, worth over 5 thousand euros, donated to the bishop of Pompeii, Tommaso Caputo, on the occasion of his fiftieth anniversary of ordination.
According to the Court of Auditors, these gifts, classified as “representation expenses,” should have respected criteria of “reasonableness, sobriety and appropriateness.” Criteria that, according to the investigation, were completely ignored, making the expenses inadmissible and potentially illicit.
Irregular procedures
The investigation also highlighted how the purchases were all made at the same jewelry store in Pompeii, in a manner deemed to be less than transparent. According to the accusations, Mayor Lo Sapio would have personally ordered the gifts, while municipal managers would have taken care of the purchases, subsequently approved by the council. A procedure that, according to the magistrates, would not respect the principles of transparency and administrative correctness.
The precedent of Alberto Angela
Counterbalancing the luxury gifts is the precedent of 2018, when the Municipality of Pompeii, then led by another administration, awarded honorary citizenship to the well-known science communicator Alberto Angela. On that occasion, the gift was a pen with case, worth less than 500 euros. A sober and symbolic gesture, in line with the criteria of reasonableness required by law. Angela, among other things, contributed to spreading the image of Pompeii in the world, going so far as to finance the restoration of the fresco “The Wounded Adonis” in the Pompeian house with the proceeds of one of her books.
The comparison with Naples
The investigation also compared the expenses sustained by the Municipality of Pompeii with those of Naples, the regional capital and the third largest city in Italy. Well, the sum spent by Naples in an entire year for gifts and recognition would be less than the cost of the single key given to Sangiuliano. A figure that, according to the magistrates, confirms the excessive spending of the Vesuvian Municipality.
The mayor's motivations
In June 2024, Mayor Lo Sapio justified the purchase of the key for Sangiuliano with a note in which he wrote: “For the great results achieved in recent years by my administration, Minister Sangiuliano wanted to reward the city of Pompeii. In light of this, it is our intention to give the minister the key to the city, as already done for the previous minister”. However, according to the magistrates, the purpose of the gift would not have been the promotion of Pompeii, but rather the self-celebration of the results of the Lo Sapio administration.
The future of investigation
The investigation is still ongoing, but a possible compensation for damages to the public purse is already emerging. In the meantime, the case has reignited the debate on transparency and correctness in the management of public funds, raising questions about how and why a municipality decided to spend tens of thousands of euros on luxury gifts.
Article published on 14 February 2025 - 08:45
The issue of luxury gifts from the Municipality of Pompeii is very complex. The costs seem exaggerated and not in line with the image of the city. It will be important to follow the progress of the investigation and the decisions of the Court of Auditors.
Yes, I agree that prices are high and one would expect greater compliance. It is essential that public funds be managed with greater care and responsibility for the good of the community.
It is strange to see how so much money is spent on gifts, while there are many more urgent needs to be addressed in the city. Transparency must be a priority in these situations to avoid misunderstandings.