In fact, if you take a look at what happens in other European capitals, including Matera, the last European Capital of Culture in Italy after Florence, Bologna and Genoa, the title is awarded five years before the capital year. Matera was decided on October 17, 2014, for the 2019 capital. That means the call for bids was published in 2012.

So for the 2033 European capital presumably the awarding will take place in 2028 and the call for bids should come out in 2026. It is time, in short, for cities that would like to participate in the competition to warm up and start their engines.

At the time of writing, the only city to have formally decided to enter the race to win the title of European Capital of Culture in 2033 is the city of Turin. A city that since redesigning its strategic program, under the coordination of Paolo Verri, a cultural manager well known in Italy and abroad also for having served as general director of Matera 2019, has changed its destiny from an industrial city, due to the massive presence of Fiat / Fca / Stellantis to a cultural and tourist city.

Perhaps driven by love, the city of Turin chose Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, to sign an initial agreement among all institutions to nominate the city as European Capital of Culture 2033.

While waiting to know the other candidate cities (Pesaro Urbino, and Viterbo have already expressed this will) here is the press release from the city of Turin, which has already appointed the director of the candidacy. He is Agostino Riitano, former project manager of Matera 2019, director of Procida and Pesaro Italian Capitals of Culture.

Unfortunately, even in this press release the mistake is made of considering Gorizia as the last European Capital of Culture in Italy. But this is obviously not the case as we will explain in more detail in a forthcoming article on EcocNews.

With the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Turin, the Piedmont Region, the Metropolitan City, the Chamber of Commerce, the University of Turin, the Polytechnic University of Turin, the CRT Foundation and the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation, the inter-institutional Strategic Table for the construction of the dossier for the candidacy of Turin as European Capital of Culture 2033 was officially established this morning.

The Table, chaired by the Mayor, will remain in place until December 31, 2027, with the aim of promoting the territory's participation in the candidacy through initiatives that involve institutions, local, national and international stakeholders and citizens, and to pursue shared goals among the participants such as enhancing the historical, artistic and cultural heritage of Turin; involving the city community, with particular attention to young people; but also enhancing the tourism market and attracting investment; strengthening international collaboration and intercultural dialogue; and promoting European cultural diversity. Economic contributions to support the project will be defined annually by the entities.

“The signing of this protocol,” explains Mayor Stefano Lo Russo, ”symbolizes, as has already happened for city branding, the will to team up on the part of the city's institutions, enhancing the transformations in which the city is a protagonist and looking toward a common vision of the future. But it will be a candidacy of the city as a whole, with the aim of involving from the very beginning the people of Turin and especially the youngest girls and boys. We are making an investment in the future of Turin with a matrix, which is that of culture, and the determination of a city that has been able to represent an engine of development and one of the main cultural hubs in the country and will continue to do so.”

“The signing of this protocol,” says Piedmont Regional Councillor for Culture Marina Chiarelli, ”marks the beginning of an ambitious path: the candidacy of Turin as European Capital of Culture 2033. It is not just a formal act, but a concrete commitment by everyone to build a project with a shared vision.Turin is already a Capital of Culture, not only because of its history and heritage, but because it has been able to transform culture into opportunity, innovation and development.This path will involve everyone, from citizens to businesses, from universities to the world of research with the aim of enhancing our heritage, attracting investment, strengthening international relations and involving new generations.”

For Dario Gallina, president of the Turin Chamber of Commerce, “Today we are laying the foundations to achieve an ambitious goal, for which we have all the cards.Turin is already the third largest Italian city in terms of employees and added value generated by the cultural and creative system; we have recognized innovative capacity, we know how to enhance our heritage and involve citizens when it comes to large participatory events.Finally, a further strength demonstrated by this table, we know how to work together to identify and concretize all opportunities.”

Coordinating and implementing all the necessary actions, from fundraising to formalities, to present the bid will be the Fondazione per la Cultura Torino, which has appointed cultural manager Agostino Riitano as director of the bid. It is time, in short, for cities that would like to participate in the competition to warm up and start their engines. At the time of writing, the only city to have formally decided to enter the race to win the title of European Capital of Culture in 2033 is the city of Turin.

A city that since redesigning its strategic program, under the coordination of Paolo Verri, a cultural manager well known in Italy and abroad also for having served as general director of Matera 2019, has changed its destiny from an industrial city, due to the massive presence of Fiat / Fca / Stellantis to a cultural and tourist city. Perhaps driven by love, the city of Turin chose Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, to sign an initial agreement among all institutions to nominate the city as European Capital of Culture 2033.

While waiting to know the other candidate cities (Pesaro Urbino, and Viterbo have already expressed this willingness) here is the press release from the city of Turin, which has reportedly already appointed the director of the candidacy.This would be Agostino Riitano, former project manager of Matera 2019, director of Procida and Pesaro Italian Capitals of Culture. Unfortunately, even in this statement the mistake is made of considering Gorizia as the last European Capital of Culture in Italy.But this is obviously not the case as we will explain in more detail in a forthcoming article in EcocNews.

“Turin and Piedmont are the undisputed cradle of technological and industrial culture, both national and European,” comments Politecnico Rector Stefano Corgnati. ”Today, this vocation can be revisited through new technologies, thanks to the propulsive thrust toward making a culture of innovation. The territory must continue its high-density cultural tradition of technology, already experienced around the central role of the automotive industry, in which the artistic depiction of speed, for example, stood out, and today well represented by aerospace, which encapsulates science, storytelling and poetry: an indispensable key to understanding how we can live and move in this century, how to prepare for the future, always with our feet firmly on the ground but our gaze turned toward the stars.”

“Turin's candidacy as European Capital of Culture 2033 is an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the teamwork between institutions, entities and organizations that have long collaborated with a common vision,” says Fondazione CRT President Anna Maria Poggi, ”A consolidated alliance that brings to the table ideas, projects and initiatives to enhance and promote in the world a unique and priceless cultural heritage that we have always taken care of. With today's signing of the memorandum of understanding, we reaffirm our commitment to transforming this heritage into a lever of social and economic development, for the benefit of the Turin community and in particular the younger generations.”

“The Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation is pleased to support the candidacy for European Capital of Culture, promoting institutional concertation in the belief that only through dialogue between institutions, cultural bodies, citizens, the education ecosystem and the economic sector can we build a shared and lasting project in which culture is a lever of well-being, quality of life and sustainable growth. Enhancing cultural identities and investing in innovation means making Turin even more attractive and rich in opportunities for those who live there and for those who choose it as a place of study, work or tourism.

Becoming European Capital of Culture is a unique opportunity to strengthen the role of our city internationally and consolidate new models of inclusive and sustainable development,” says Marco Gilli, president of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.

Conceived as a means to bring European citizens closer together, the European City of Culture initiative was launched in 1985 on the initiative of the Minister of Culture in the Greek government Melina Merkouri. Since then, the initiative has grown in par with its cultural and socioeconomic impact because of the many visitors it has attracted to the identified cities.Italian cities chosen in the past include Florence (1986), Bologna (2000), Genoa (2004), Matera (2019) and Gorizia, which is European Capital of Culture 2025 along with Chemnitz (Germany) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia).Among the requirements identified by the European Union for a city to be chosen are its cultural competitiveness and European belonging, but also factors such as social inclusion, active participation and equal opportunities, intercultural dialogue, and urban regeneration.