This paper focuses on Italy's arts and cultural education. The Ministry of Education is responsible for setting the national curriculum and for the cultural axes. The decisions on all the cultural and creative aims for each type of education are taken at national level and at the level of each individual school. At national level the guidelines for the knowledge, proficiencies and skills required for meeting the general aims are set out. The contents of the teaching programmes to meet the general aims are drawn up at the individual school level. At the ISCED levels 1 and 2 education in the arts is provided through two separate subjects called "Music" and "Art and Image." The arts at the ISCED level 3 fall under more general heading of the "language/linguistic axis". This paper contains the following sections: (1) Responsibility and purpose; (2) Organisation and aims of arts education; (3) Special provision with a focus on art education; (4) Assessment of pupils' progress and monitoring of standards in the arts; (5) Teacher education in the arts; (6) Initiatives; and (7) Ongoing reforms and proposals. (Contains 1 footnote.)