January 1985: Melina Merkouri, then Minister of Culture in the Greek government, proposed the idea of naming a few cities (in rotation between all EU countries) that could showcase their history and cultural development. The basic idea was to create a connection between the various European citizens, and it was no coincidence that in 1985 the first European City of Culture was Athens. In 1999, the initiative was renamed ‘European Capital of Culture’ and from the following year it began to be financed with the Culture 2000 Programme.
The capital of culture in Italy
When Matera was proclaimed European Capital of Culture 2019 in 2014, the Renzi government decided to import the now 30-year-old European tradition with the establishment of the ‘Italian capital of culture’. Compared to the original objectives, which were more focused on European ties, the Italian counterpart developed around the concept of valorisation of the territory in a more local sense, winking at both the tourism and infrastructure sectors.
The acceptance criteria
Nominations are evaluated by a jury of seven independent experts, which recommends to the Ministry of Culture the name of the municipality, metropolitan city or union of municipalities considered most suitable among the various finalists. The title is subsequently awarded by the Council of Ministers with its own resolution on an annual basis, with a contribution of EUR 1 million for the winner.
There are ten criteria to be met, including, among other things, the ‘consistency of the project's objectives with those established by the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ and the ‘realisation of works and infrastructures of public utility intended to remain on the territory to serve the community’. The commitment is therefore very concrete and sometimes onerous, so much so that it has led some cities to apply jointly for the competition, as happened in 2020 with Bergamo and Brescia (nominated in 2023), which were particularly affected by the pandemic.
The benefits of nomination
The positive effects of the two programmes, European and Italian, are manifold. In the first place, there is certainly a greater number of tourists, which benefits the citizens, whose quality of life is increased in various respects. Secondly, there is also room for the growth of new professional figures, who take part in the numerous activities to implement the cultural programme. Often, at the end of the year, the spin-offs are not only economic: the event tends to change, also in a structural sense, the offer and image of the host city, as happened in Matera in 2019.
If you are interested in learning more, you can read the article we dedicated to Pesaro (Italian Capital of Culture 2024); otherwise, get ready to discover Agrigento (designated for 2025) and L'Aquila (designated for 2026).
