Paolo Baratta, the widely-respected culture official, learned Thursday that he would officially return as the head of the Venice Biennale. The announcement comes after a turbulent few months for the Cambridge-trained economist, who was told he would not be confirmed for a second term as biennale president in October. His re-appointment was made after consultations with the city and regional government officials in Venice, according to the Hollywood Reporter. As head of the biennale, Baratta also oversees the Venice Film Festival, the Venice's architecture biennale, and the city’s dance festival, among other events. 

Baratta, 72, was to be replaced by food importer and media entrepreneur Giulio Malgara, 73, in January. The appointment aroused forceful opposition from the current and former mayors of Venice, who suggested the decision smacked of political maneuvering on the part of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and former minister of culture Giancarlo Galan. Malgara had no prior experience in the cultural sector, but was a friend of Berlusconi’s and the founder of Auditel, a television ratings company. (Berlusconi himself owns three Italian television channels.) After Berlusconi resigned as president in October, Malgara’s all-but-confirmed appointment was suddenly thrown into question. The following month, Galan was replaced by Lorenzo Ornaghi, who said he wished to retain Baratta as Biennale president. That same month, Malgara withdrew his bid for the biennale presidency.

Baratta is credited with guiding the Biennale’s initial transformation from a government agency to a semi-private foundation. He previously served as Biennale president between 1998 and 2002, when his tenure was cut short during Berlusconi’s previous term following a series of clashes with the Italian ministry of culture. Galan told the Italian press he selected Malgara because of his potential to bring new sponsorship to the architecture, film, theater, and visual arts biennales, as well as his experience in the entertainment industry. The decision was met with skepticism by many in the cultural community. An online petition to bring back Baratta earned more than 3,800 signatures, including those of Tate director Nicholas Serota and this year’s biennale curator Bice Curiger. Now, they will all get their wish.