In an interview published by New York Today, Giulia Silvia Ghia presents an ambitious vision in which culture becomes public responsibility, civic infrastructure and a powerful instrument connecting Rome with New York.
Ghia has worked in cultural heritage for more than 25 years, combining an uncommon range of expertise. She is an art historian, restorer, curator, professor and public administrator who understands both the artistic value of historic works and the practical systems required to preserve them.
Since 2021, she has served as Councilor for Culture, Education, Sports and Youth Policies in Rome’s First Municipality. Her work has helped bring major contemporary artists into the city’s historic center, demonstrating that Rome’s extraordinary past can engage confidently with the present. Projects involving Fernando Botero, Tony Cragg, Helidon Xhixha, Joana Vasconcelos and Sean Scully have contributed to that dialogue.
Her approach is equally innovative in the digital field. The ITER project encourages residents and visitors to discover lesser-known parts of Rome, distribute tourism beyond overcrowded locations and recover stories that might otherwise remain invisible.
Before entering public administration, Ghia created Verderame Progetto Cultura as a laboratory for restoration, conservation and fundraising. Over approximately 10 years, its projects raised more than €500,000 for cultural heritage. She later founded International Friends of Verderame, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in New York.
Her American experience also includes teaching at New Jersey City University. Those relationships helped produce an agreement between Municipio Roma I Centro and Manhattan Community Board 1 – one of the most significant achievements of her public career.
Ghia now wants to develop the Rome Charter, an international network connecting the historic centers of major cities and encouraging them to exchange cultural and urban policies.
At the same time, she continues curating exhibitions, including projects devoted to Mucha in Lyon, Marco Tamburro in Rome and the Treasure of San Gennaro in New York. Her work shows how knowledge, management and cultural diplomacy can combine to give historic heritage a dynamic international future.
