(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 31 - The Sicilian city of Agrigento is
preparing to become Italy's culture capital in 2025.
The official program will be presented on January 14 in Rome at
an event to be attended by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli.
On Monday, key collaborations were announced with Turin's
Egyptian Museum and the Vatican Museums while preparations are
ongoing ahead of January 18, when President Sergio Mattarella
will officially open initiatives for Agrigento's year as the
Italian capital of culture.
Initiatives will include exhibits and cultural initiatives that
will turn Agrigento into a cultural "workshop", contributing to
transform it into a "more interesting city after 2025", said the
director of Fondazione Agrigento 2025, Roberto Albergoni.
Agrigento, which was one of the leading cities of ancient
Greece's Magna Graecia and is home to the stunning 'Valley of
the Temples' archaeological site, in 2023 beat off competition
for the role from Aosta, Assisi, Asti, Bagnoregio, Monte
Sant'Angelo, Orvieto, Pescina, Roccasecca and Spoleto.
Italy's first capital of culture was Mantua in 2016.
It was followed by Pistoia (2017), Palermo (2018), Parma, whose
stint for 2020 was extended to 2021 due to the COVID-19
pandemic, Procida (2022), the northern cities of Bergamo and
Brescia (2023) and Pesaro in 2024. (ANSA).
Agrigento gears up to become Italy's culture capital in 2025
Events to kick off on January 18 with Mattarella