Vittorio Sgarbi's visit to Capoterra divides the City Council.
Not everyone liked the idea of the city administration to invite the famous art critic at Christmas to talk about his latest book, “Nativity,” which analyzes the presence of the Madonna and baby Jesus in painting.
"I do not judge the figure of Vittorio Sgarbi, a man of great culture and one of the most competent art critics in Italy - says the former mayor, Francesco Dessì -, but I believe that this event, which given the numbers perhaps does not seem to me to have been advertised properly, was organized more for the municipal administrators than for the citizens. Personally, I would have spent the six thousand euros needed to bring Sgarbi to Capoterra for other initiatives".
The mayor, Beniamino Garau, promptly responded: «I find it incredible that we can argue even about an event of high cultural value such as Sgarbi's visit to Capoterra. If councilor Dessì had participated in the meeting organized in the Cantine Antigori, where at least seven hundred people were present, or in the presentation of the book in the parish church of Sant'Efisio, he would have realized the importance of Professor Sgarbi's presence in our town. It seems clear to me that we have two completely different ideas of culture».