Ten Years After: The Rise and Fall of Autonomy in Pompeii

In September 1997 a regulation (law No. 352/1997) gave to Pompeii a new status: from its previous standing as a local branch of the Ministry of Culture (the Soprintendenza) it was configured as an autonomous entity (Soprintendenza autonoma). In July 2008, the Italian Prime Minister declared a one year state of emergency in Pompeii, appointing a special commissioner (Commissario straordinario) belonging to the Civil Protection in order to cope with “the serious critical situation of the archeological area” (DCPM 3692/2008). The aim of the paper is revise the process of change throughout ten years in Pompeii, observing major institutional transformations and analyzing the evolution of the activities and the human and financial resources management. Beyond shading some lights on one of the most important experiment for the Italian public sector - i.e. the autonomy of Pompeii, the paper further explores the distinctive features of the country’s public administration within a broader NPM and post-NPM debate.

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