(ANSA) - Rome, May 2 - The government's national research programme, the document that allocates 2.5 billion euros to public investment for scientific research, was launched on Monday with Education Minister Stefania Giannini's presentation of its strategic lines. The minister said 40% of the investment is destined for human capital.
At the same time, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said one billion euros in funding for culture was "already available" and would constitute the "great operation on the cultural heritage in postwar history".
Among the projects are cultural treasures from L'Aquila shunted aside amid problems concerning post-earthquake reconstruction, the dream of completing the Grande Brera - left on hold for decades - and a wing of Rome's Galleria d'Arte Moderna, works on which were also suspended in the 1960s.
The minister vowed to use the money for large-scale projects that had been shelved or left incomplete across the entire country due to a lack of resources. Two years will be needed for some of the 33 projects spread across 13 regions and financed as part of a 2014-2020 development fund, while more will be needed for others.