University Museum Systems. Exploring the Historical Evolution and Management Practices in Italy and Pisa

This study investigates the management of university museum systems in Italy and traces their historical development, focusing on the University of Pisa, one of the first institutions to adopt this organizational approach. While the common definition ‘museum systems’ seems to imply a uniform management model, this research highlights the presence of several administrative variations within this framework. The paper conducts an analysis of each model, assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The program of our university, started in 1982 by the Commission for University Museums, resulted in the creation of the current Museum System in 2012, which involved Marilina Betrò in the role of first President. The article summarizes the research conducted during the author’s PhD at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca between 2011 and 2013. The content has been updated to reflect changes up until 08/30/2023.