President Sergio Mattarella inaugurated Pesaro’s year as Italy’s Capital of Culture on Saturday in a ceremony in the Marche city.
The attractive resort town on the Adriatic coast, famed worldwide for the Rossini Opera Festival, takes over from northern cities of Bergamo and Brescia as the nation’s Capital of Culture.
In his inauguration speech, President Mattarella said, “Pesaro is rich in cultural heritage and the (Culture Capital) project involving 50 municipalities in the province will expand its opportunities further.”
“A place of honour belongs to [Pesaro native] Gioachino Rossini, one of the greats of European music, an innovative, brilliant, ironic composer, a fascinating symbol of the Italy that was emerging [during the unification of the 19th century].
“The next season of the Rossini Festival will certainly be special for Pesaro.
“So a dream requiring hard work begins today for Pesaro – a dream supported by the commitment to concrete achievements.
“Have a good year as the Italian capital of culture for 2024.
“Many will come to Pesaro to meet you, to get to know your historical and artistic heritage,” the head of State continued.
“This is a consequence of the circularity of culture that does not tolerate restrictions or boundaries, that demands respect for the choices of every citizen, that rejects the attempts by public authorities or large corporations to direct sensibilities towards the monopoly of a single way of thinking.
“If culture is knowledge, creativity, emotion, passion, feeling, it is the prerequisite of our freedoms, including that of being together”.
For details on the programme of events and more information on Pesaro, visit the official website.
