Are golden times dawning again? Time and again, the Maxxi in Rome has been threatened with closure - due to tight finances. Designed by Zaha Hadid in 2010, the building was the first in the country to be dedicated exclusively to contemporary art. Now, Italy has decided to spend 15 million euros to transform the Maxxi into a center for sustainability and research. What it will all look like is not yet known. A competition for the best design has been announced.

But money is flowing everywhere in the country. Around 200 million euros are now to be invested throughout the country. The Royal Palace in Naples will receive as much as 23 million euros, and 14 million euros will be made available for Rome's Iron Bridge.