L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 4 FRANCESCA BEZZONE NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS L a s t w e e k Pesaro, a lively t o w n o f a b o u t 1 0 0 . 0 0 0 i n t h e Marche region, was proclaimed Italy's Capi- tal of Culture for the year 2024. The announcement was given by Italian Minister for Cultural Heritage and Activities, Dario Frances- chini, whose recent propo- s i t i o n t o h e l p U k r a i n e rebuild the theatre of Mari- upol, destroyed by Russian b o m b i n g s , w a s e m b r a c e d unanimously by the parlia- ment. Speaking of Pesaro's v i c t o r y , F r a n c e s c h i n i explained that the choice was based on the fact the city presented a project to val- o r i z e " t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between the city and its ter- ritory, with a program that i n v o l v e s t h e w h o l e province." Matteo Ricci, mayor of Pesaro, spoke for the city and, just like Franceschini, had thoughts for Ukraine and her people: "It is a huge emotion for the whole city. We'd like to dedicate our vic- tory to Kharkiv, which is a UNESCO City of Music just like we are, and that right n o w i s u n d e r R u s s i a n shelling." He then conclud- e d , s t a t i n g " I h o p e t h a t Kharkiv will start playing music again, with us, too." A s h i n t e d b y Franceschini's words, it was Pesaro's will to focus on its territory as a whole, rather than on the city only, that made its candidature a win- ner. "Pesaro's excellent can- d i d a t u r e – F r a n c e s c h i n i explained – is founded on a cultural project that aims at valorizing a territory incred- ibly rich in history and envi- ronmental beauty, and that wants to promote integra- tion, innovation, and socio- e c o n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t t h r o u g h v e r y c o n c r e t e actions. It is the right bal- ance between nature, cul- ture, and technology." Pesaro, whose project is called La Natura della Cultura, or the Nature of C u l t u r e , w o n o v e r o t h e r b e a u t i f u l c i t i e s o f I t a l y : A s c o l i P i c e n o , C h i o g g i a , Grosseto, Mesagne, Sestri Levante/Tigullio, Siracusa, P a e s t u m / A l t o C i l e n t o , Viareggio and Vicenza. It comes after other famous Italian cities, which were h o n o r e d w i t h t h e t i t l e : Procida is our capital of cul- ture right now, while Brescia and Bergamo, two cities that perhaps more than others suffered the dramatic conse- q u e n c e s o f t h e C o v i d - 1 9 pandemic, will jointly hold the title in 2023. Parma, which had won the title for the year 2020, also held it for 2021, as most of what was planned could not be carried out in 2020 because of the lockdown. Many of you, probably, r e m e m b e r o t h e r f a m o u s towns and cities that repre- s e n t e d o u r c u l t u r e a n d a m a z i n g h e r i t a g e i n t h e p a s t : C a g l i a r i , S i e n a , Ravenna, Lecce, and Perugia h a d t h e t i t l e i n 2 0 1 5 ; Mantova in 2016; Pistoia in 2017; Palermo in 2018. 2019 was the year of M a t e r a , which got a step further and w a s e l e c t e d E u r o p e a n Capital of Culture. The main theme of the candidature, as reported on the official website of the La Natura della Cultura project, is the relationship between art, environment, and tech- n o l o g y , t a k i n g a l e a f o f f UNESCO's seven clusters: craftsmanship, design, cine- ma, gastronomy, digital arts, manufacturing, and music. All of them are present on the Pesaro province territory and are at the heart of the projects and events that will characterize the city's year as capital of culture. "It is necessary to invest in our land's soul and in how we can pass it on: the 'creativity of making' brings together the artist and the craftsman, the businessman and the active citizen. It is a chal- lenge that must transcend political views and focus on giving new opportunities to a whole community," it is written on pesaro2024, the official webpage of the project. Continued to page 6 Arnaldo Pomodoro's Sfera Grande, in Pesaro (Photo: Pamela Panella/Dreamstime) Discover Pesaro, Italy's Capital of Culture for 2024 Pesaro's sea (Photo: Buffy1982/Shutterstock)

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