Walter Santagata (1945-2013) was professor of Public Finance and Cultural Economics at the University of Turin, and professor in Arts and Philosophy Department of University of Turin.
He directed the Research Centre Silvia Santagata (International Center for Research on Economics of Culture, Institutions and Creativity)’s, dedicated to his daughter prematurely died in 2006.

Walter Santagata created the Master “World Heritage and Cultural Projects for Development” instituted in co-operation with UNESCO, University of Turin, the Polytechnic University of Turin and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC/ILO). Since 2009 he was member of Ministerial Council of Cultural Heritage Ministry of France. He also has been President of the Technical-Scientific Committee for Cultural Economics of Mibac and he also was member of the Board of Governors of Cultural Heritage. In 2008 he has been the President of Mibac research team for the drafting of “White Book about Creativity in Italy”.
Walter Santagata published several studies on Cultural Economics in Italy and abroad. He has always been a pioneering promoter of culture as mean for economic development. Few examples of his works include:
- Government of Culture ( Il Mulino 2014 – posthumous)
- Creative Atmosphere: A model of Sustainable Development for Piedmont based on culure and creativity. (Il Mulino 2012) edited with E.Bertacchini
- Cultural Commons (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012) in co-operation with: Enrico Bertacchini, Giangiacomo Bravo and Massimo Marrelli
- The Culture Factory (Il Mulino 2007) in co-operation with Pier Luigi Sacco and Michele Trimarchi
- Italian Contemporary Art in the World (Skira 2005) in co-operation with Christian Barrère and La Mode
- Une économie de la Créeativité et du patri moine (La Documentation Française 2005)
- Symbol and goods (Il Mulino 1998).
Thanks to him also the definition of Cultural Economics on the “Italian Encyclopaedia of Science, Letters, and Arts” – Treccani.