Italian state museums during the COVID-19 crisis: from onsite closure to online openness

ABSTRACT This study investigates the reaction of Italian state museums to the closure of their physical sites caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, taking the perspective of their online activity on social media. The study explores the type and amount of content published by museums on their social media webpages, as well as the level of online engagement that is generated by their activity. Empirically, this study investigated the 100 largest Italian state museums, showing that, during the weeks of lockdown, their cultural initiatives did not come to a stop but, on the contrary, there has been a sharp rise in online cultural material and initiatives taking place through social media, with museums doubling their online activity. This online evidence has stimulated further reflections on the future direction of digitally enabled approaches to culture and its enjoyment.