Report probes public funding to Taobuk and Fondazione Taormina Arte

Report returns to Taormina: investigation into funding for the Foundation and Taobuk

The Rai program Report, hosted by Sigfrido Ranucci and produced by journalist Giulia Presutti, aired on Sunday 12 April 2026 with a report focused on the management of Fondazione Taormina Arte and public funding directed to the literary festival Taobuk.

• The episode reconstructs transfers of resources from the Region and the Ministry of Culture to the Foundation and, in part, to Taobuk.
• According to the report, in 2025 the regional department reportedly transferred about €3.5 million to the Foundation; some funds were then allocated to Taobuk without a public tender, based on a regional law.
• Report highlights changes in the Foundation's accounts: a reduced surplus in 2022 and increased losses in 2023, as well as contractual and salary adjustments for senior roles in 2023.
• Specific amounts cited include roughly €450,000 for the festival, €500,000 for anniversary celebrations tied to the Messina and Taormina conference, and a €58,000 ministerial contribution for a thematic project.
• The episode also documents relations between organizers and public institutions and mentions hospitality expenses covered by the festival for institutional guests.

The newsroom notes the investigative nature of the report and that any findings or responsibilities are subject to verification by the relevant judicial and administrative authorities.