'Eye on Art' is a monthly series that explores cutting-edge trends in the world of museums, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the people and places shaping art's significance and value France and Italy are blessed with two of the world's greatest artistic heritages Italy's often considered the richest of all but this immense wealth can also weigh heavily on the countries' resources. It must be maintained, restored, managed and made available to the public, at enormous expense. In both countries, the national government bears the brunt of this vast and costly task. The private sector, however, is increasingly lending a hand even in France, a highly centralized country where the state, whether royal or republican, has traditionally kept tight control over the whole territory. While Italy also maintains strong central control over national artistic treasures, its regional and municipal authorities have more responsibility for running their own affairs. Despite France's reputation as a nation both resistant to change and skeptical of private-sector involvement in cultural matters, change is indeed taking place in quiet ways in the French art world. In 2003, a new law introduced by then-Minister of Culture Jean-Jacques Aillagon raised tax deductions for donations made by individuals and companies "in the public interest" to up to 60 percent of the amount given, with a ceiling of 20 percent of taxable income. The rate rises to 90 percent for companies when they buy a "national treasure" and donate it to a public institution. The new law gives France some of the world's strongest tax incentives for cultural donations. "In France," says Aillagon, "we suffered for a long time from a major lack of private involvement. Twenty years ago, we could hardly imagine it possible that a private company could be involved in the cultural domain. Today, it seems totally natural." Private participation is still not a universally accepted idea in France, however as was illustrated by the criticism heard from some quarters when the Louvre announced in April that American donors would make a 6.4 million contribution to the renovation of the museum's 15th-century French furniture galleries. Aillagon, the new director general of the Palazzo Grassi in Venice and the former president of the Pompidou Center in Paris, is hardly advocating the withdrawal of the state from the cultural arena. "In France," he observes, "we often think it's either one or the other." He points out that national and local governments can provide the continuity needed to protect the artistic patrimony that companies cannot guarantee because of ups and downs in the business cycle. Banking on culture In Italy, it has long been common for large companies, especially banks and insurers, to play an active role in cultural conservation. One example of private-public cooperation is the 20-year-old Consulta, a consortium of companies including major players like Fiat, Pirelli and Lavazza that has banded together to assist in the preservation of Turin's patrimony by providing research and public-information services. This year's Olympic host city has now been so well restored that Consulta is starting to run out of projects to work on. The idea was to give companies a more active role than just sponsorship. Says Consulta's president, Luigi Garosci: "We wanted to participate to create added value for ourselves and build expertise in a subject." Another model for public-private cooperation is offered by the Comite Français pour la Sauvegarde de Venise, one of the national committees set up to help save Venice after the catastrophic floods of 1966, which seeks fundingfor restoration projects from companies, foundations and individuals. Says Jerome-François Zieseniss, president of the French committee: "It is absolutely necessary that the private sector be involved. The state has less and less money, and this is the patrimony of humanity. It belongs to all of us. We mustn't abandon the state to its fate." While much cooperation in preserving national artistic heritages is occurring at the European level, France and Italy have a tradition of sharing expertise. France's Institut National du Patrimoine and the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Art sponsor an ongoing series of round tables and seminars in Paris and Venice on preserving artistic heritage. In July, the Ecole du Louvre and the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Art will hold their 10th seminar on the history of Veneto art, with courses and visits in French and Italian. Says Professor Gennaro Toscano, scientific consultant for the Institut National du Patrimoine: "It is impossible today to work as one country alone. The sharing of expertise is indispensable."