by InTrieste
In the heart of the central Italian region of Le Marche, Pesaro takes center stage as the newly crowned Italian culture capital, succeeding Bergamo and Brescia. Known as the birthplace of renowned composer Gioacchino Rossini, the city is particularly famed for its opera festival.
Among Pesaro’s prominent landmarks are the 15th-century Ducal Palace, the imposing Rocca Costanza castle, and the Romanesque-Gothic Basilica, a masterpiece spanning from the fifth to the 14th centuries.
A glance at the historical trajectory of Italy’s Capitals of Culture reveals the initiative’s inception in 2014. The inaugural cultural capitals included Cagliari, Lecce, Perugia, Ravenna, and Siena in 2015, followed by Mantua in 2016, Pistoia in 2017, and Palermo in 2018. In 2019, Matera in the southern Basilicata region claimed the European Capital of Culture title.
The year 2020 marked Parma’s acknowledgment as Italy’s culture capital, with the northern city retaining the honor for a second year to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 lockdowns. In 2022, the title shifted to Procida, a charming island in the Gulf of Naples.
Bergamo and Brescia jointly held the 2023 Capital of Culture title, a departure from the usual application process, symbolizing a “rebirth” for the two northern cities grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking ahead, Agrigento, a Sicilian city renowned for its archaeological heritage, is set to claim the Italian Capital of Culture in 2025. Currently, various contenders are vying for the prestigious title in 2026, including Agnone (Isernia), Alba (Cuneo), Gaeta, L’Aquila, Latina, Lucera (Foggia), Maratea (Potenza), Rimini, Treviso, and the Unione dei Comuni Valdichiana Senese (Siena). For further information, interested parties can refer to the Italian Culture Ministry website.
