Exploring the role of museums in the digital era: the successful case of the Uffizi Galleries

Over the last decades, museums have transformed their functions, raising importance and legitimacy in society and increasing their role as a “social engine” for urban renewal and regional development (Lazzeretti and Capone, 2015). Recently, with the advent of information and communication technologies (ICTs), the museum sector has experienced a paradigm shift where online communication has assumed increased importance. The growing use of online platforms and social media has enhanced community participation, fostering dialogic communication with audiences (Arnaboldi et al., 2021). The museums in the digital era have become a hybrid space where online and on-life interactions overlap. They have become facilitators for access to cultural heritage by creating a participatory context typical of an online platform, activating processes of co-creation of meaning with the online public and accentuating the proactive role of the audience (Simon, 2010; 2016; Solima et al., 2021). In addition, online communication and social media in museums have fostered the conveyance of places’ values and identities. They also contribute to cities’ attractiveness, competitiveness and transformation (Beccherle et al., 2023). Thanks to digital technologies, museums may be crucial in increasing places’ consensus and legitimacy (Lazzeretti, 2023). These aspects underline the importance of “value” creation related to concepts such as reputation, trust, visibility and a sense of community, which are increasingly lacking in the society of digitalisation (Suchman, 1995). Based on such considerations, relevant importance assumes for scholars to understand the role played by museums in the digital era and how technology may help them develop new forms of engagement and city promotion. Moreover, although this positive vision of the future role of museums in are still in an open debate, and it is not clear if digital transformation is an “opportunity” or a “chimaera” for the cultural sector (Nuccio and Bertacchini, 2022). To contribute to this debate, the chapter analyses the case of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, following the qualitative methodology of the case study. The analysis is a preliminary exploration to understand how new technologies changed the museum’s business model focusing on online communication and engagement and the relationship between the museum and the city of Florence.