L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS declared values are reflected in ordinary conditions on the ground. If the Olympics push Italy outward, L'Aquila's year as Italian Capital of Cul- t u r e pulls attention back w i t h i n o u r b o r d e r s . M o r e than fifteen years after the 2009 earthquake, the city is still living with its long after- m a t h o f d e s t r u c t i o n a n d reconstruction and this is why, perhaps, its selection for 2026 was widely under- stood more as responsibility, than an actual prize, a recog- nition that culture can con- tribute to repairing social ties and breathe new life into a place. The approach is, in fact, very clear in the struc- ture itself of the L'Aquila 2026 program, which is built around hundreds of initia- tives spread across the city and its surrounding areas, rather than around a single major event: concerts, exhi- bitions, theater productions, and contemporary art pro- jects sit alongside education- al activities, community-led initiatives, and collabora- tions with universities and research centers; at the heart o f i t a l l , v i s i t o r s w i l l f i n d many of the spaces restored a f t e r t h e q u a k e , a w a y o f bringing back to life build- ings that for years stood as silent reminders of loss and tragedy. Interestingly, many of the projects are aimed at y o u n g e r g e n e r a t i o n s , through artist and researcher r e s i d e n c i e s , w o r k s h o p s linked to digital culture and innovation, and partnerships with European institutions; o t h e r s f o c u s d i r e c t l y o n memory and reconstruction, using photography, oral his- tories, and archival work to t r a c e h o w t h e c i t y h a s c h a n g e d s i n c e 2 0 0 9 . T h e common thread is a refusal to treat culture as something i m p o r t e d f r o m o u t s i d e . I n s t e a d , i t i s f r a m e d a s something that grows out of lived experience and remains t i e d t o t h e p l a c e i t s e l f . L'Aquila is almost a quiet mirror to the Olympic narra- tive, as it is less about speed, s c a l e , a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l exposure, and more about continuity, patience, and local involvement. Its pres- ence in the 2026 calendar reflects a different vision of p r o g r e s s , o n e t h a t m o v e attention away from specta- cle and towards the slower, uneven work of social and territorial repair. 2 0 2 6 w i l l a l s o b e t h e y e a r o f S a i n t F r a n c i s , with commemorations hon- oring the eight-hundredth anniversary of his death tak- ing place not only in "his" Assisi, but across the coun- try. Local authorities, cultur- al institutions, and associa- tions have been encouraged t o d e v e l o p i n i t i a t i v e s i n s p i r e d b y F r a n c i s c a n themes, from peace and dia- l o g u e t o e n v i r o n m e n t a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y a n d s o c i a l i n c l u s i o n , i n a v a r i e t y o f ideas and expressions that are very much in line with the figure of Francis himself, a man of faith but also of pragmatic coherence, gritti- ness, simplicity, strength and attention for the envi- ronment. And, in all truth, in a period marked by such a level of international insta- bility, having the opportuni- ty to look closer and becom- ing familiar with a man who was equally practical and spiritual, soul-centered and c o m m i t t e d t o t h e w o r l d a r o u n d h i m , m a y a l s o b e source of personal reflection o n o u r o w n c o n d i t i o n a s human beings today. Seen side by side, these moments resist being folded into a single narrative, show- ing how 2026 will position Italy in different and some- times conflicting roles at the same time: a Republic revis- iting its democratic founda- tions, a global host under logistical pressure, a country investing in long-term cul- t u r a l r e g e n e r a t i o n , a n d a society reinterpreting histor- ical figures through contem- porary challenges. For us I t a l i a n s o f I t a l y a n d t h e w o r l d , t h i s c o n v e r g e n c e offers a particularly reveal- ing perspective, as it links f o u n d a t i o n a l m o m e n t s o f modern Italy with its current international presence, while also making visible the frac- tures and continuities that a f f e c t s e v e r y d a y l i f e . T h e Italy on display in 2026 will not be a fixed image, but a set of overlapping stories, each pointing to different priorities and unresolved questions. This is why I feel that, in the end, the significance of 2026 lies in contrast: in the gap between ideals and prac- tice, between memory and present conditions, and how they will be visible through- out the year. Whether that exposure leads to reflection or fades into a sequence of d i s c o n n e c t e d e v e n t s w i l l depend on concrete choices around framing, funding, a n d f o l l o w - t h r o u g h , b u t there is something certain: 2026 will not pass quietly. It will ask Italy – and those watching her closely – to reflect not only on what the c o u n t r y h a s b e e n , b u t o n h o w i t u n d e r s t a n d s i t s e l f now. It's difficult to shed the feeling that Italy is almost caught between honoring its past and putting on a show for the world, this year; between looking inward to reflect and looking outward to share its story CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 In 2026, the country and the world also commemorate the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi's death (Image created with DALL-E 2) The church of Santa Maria del Suffragio, the cupola of which collapsed during l'Aquila's earthquake, is a symbol of the city's strength (Photo: Florence Leandri/Dreamstime)

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