Which will be the next Italian Cultural Capital in 2022?

The year 2020 was very hard for the art and culture industries. Indeed, Parma, which won in 2021, will be the capital of culture in 2021 too, due to the Covid 19 pandemic. 

Established in 2014 by the Minister for Cultural and Tourism (MIBACT is the acronym in Italian) Dario Franceschini, the city that holds the title of Capital of Culture of Italy, chosen by a committee of seven experts appointed by the same ministry, for the period of one year, has the opportunity to exhibit its life and cultural development. The winner receives 1 million euros to enhance its cultural and landscape heritage and to improve the tourist industry, hospitality, and services.

In previous years, the title was awarded to the cities of Cagliari, Lecce, Perugia, Ravenna, and Siena in 2015; Mantova in 2016; Pistoia in 2017, Palermo in 2018. In 2019, the title was not assigned to any city because Matera was the European Capital of Culture, while for the year 2023, Bergamo and Brescia, the martyred cities of the first wave of Covid-19, are already known, with an amendment to the Decree Relaunch approved by the government last July: a way to promote the beauties of the two cities in the sign of art and culture.

The jury selected the 10 cities for the final selection procedure from north to south. These are the town of Pieve de Soligo (in the province of Treviso), with a project entitled Pieve di Soligo and le Terre Alte della Marca Trevigiana , Verbania (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola), with la Cultura Riflette. Verbania, Lake Major; Ancona, La Cultura tra l'altro; Cerveteri (in the province of Rome), Cerveteri 2022. At the origins of the future; L'Aquila, AQ2022, Culture leaves its mark; Volterra (Pisa), Volterra. Human regeneration. From the South, the nominations come from Bari, Bari 2022 Italian Capital of Culture; Procida (Naples), Procida Italian Capital of Culture 2022; Taranto, Taranto and Greece "Salentina". Italian Capital of Culture 2022. Culture changes the climate; Trapani, Italian Capital of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Trapani crossroads of peoples and cultures, harbors, and polychromies. Art and culture, the wind of regeneration.

The final match will take place at a public hearing of one hour: the projects will have to be submitted and explained to the jury. This will be done at the Collegio Romano, probably on the 14 and 15 January 2021. By the 18th of January, we know the winner.

Good luck to everyone and may the best win!