Biography

Vittorio Umberto Antonio Maria Sgarbi (born 8 May 1952 in Ferrara) is an Italian art critic, art historian, writer, politician, cultural commentator and television personality. He is President of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto.

He was appointed curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale. Several times a member of the Italian Parliament, in 2008 he served as Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Sports in Milan's municipal government for six months when Mayor Letizia Moratti terminated his mandate as she saw him 'unfit for the job'. In 2012, he was removed as Mayor of Salemi by the Ministry of Interior after he failed to acknowledge Mafia interferences in his cabinet. Vittorio Sgarbi attended the Classical Lyceum "Ludovico Ariosto" in Ferrara and then graduated in Philosophy "cum laude" at the University of Bologna, where he also specialized in History of Art. He has a younger sister, Elisabetta Sgarbi, an Italian film producer and writer.

Sgarbi made his debut on National TV as an art expert on the Maurizio Costanzo Show on Canale 5. In the 1990s he had his own show, Sgarbi Quotidiani. (a pun on his name that can be read as "Daily Sgarbi" or "Daily Offences"). The show was a 15-minute recapitulation of current events. On a few episodes, Sgarbi furiously attacked the Italian judges working on the Tangentopoli corruption scandal. Sgarbi also criticized the use of preventive detention in prison.

Although Sgarbi has strongly defended the role of Catholicism as a foundational element of Italian culture, he defines himself as an atheist. On ethical issues — for example, that of euthanasia or in the case of Eluana Englaro, whose life was artificially prolonged by 17 years in a vegetative coma, he sided with the Catholic Church. He has also declared his opposition to gay marriage and to marriage in general.

While he was mayor of the Sicilian city of Salemi, he was removed from his role and the administration of the city got commissioned. According to the Minister of Interior Anna Maria Cancellieri, Sgarbi had responsibilities for the infiltration of Mafia in the management of the city, for example through the creation of fake protocols and making the administrative process slower.In November 2017, Sgarbi was chosen by President-elect of Sicily Nello Musumeci as new Regional Assessor of Cultural Heritage.He was re-elected as MP for Forza Italia for the 2018 general election, and was successively elected as Mayor of Sutri later in June of the same year.

Candidate to the Senate in the 2022 Italian general election, he was not elected. Despite that, he has been nominated Undersecretary to the Culture in the Meloni Cabinet.

Sgarbi is also a columnist for il Giornale and works as an art critic for Panorama newsmagazine.