Premier Paolo Gentiloni and
Culture Minister Dario Franceschini on Monday kicked off
Palermo's year as Italian Culture Capital.
Speaking to local dignitaries including Mayor Leoluca Orlando
and Sicily Governor Nello Musumeci, Gentiloni said Palermo was
"changing" after years of being depicted via "stereotypes".
"This is a chance to say thank you Palermo, the Italians are
proud of this city," the premier said.
He said a major new library of Islamic studies would be set
up with government funds and named after famed late Florence
mayor Giorgio La Pira.
Franceschini said Palermo would "remain the capital of
dialogue".
Orlando said there would be "thousands of initiatives" during
the year and said Palermo was "an example of tolerance and
welcome".
Over 780 events are planned and more are expected to be
added.
He added that "Palermo excellence" would be put to the test.
Orlando noted "one of the characteristic elements is that the
peripheries will be more involved than the centre. We want to
abolish the term 'peripheries'. "
Tourist visits to the Sicilian capital, which is already one
of Italy's most popular destinations, are expected to be boosted
considerably by the slew of cultural events planned.
Some of the highlights include the return of Giovanni
Boldini's 'Donna Franca Florio, an iconic painting of the Belle
Epoque, a large exhibition on Antonello da Messina and Manifesta
12, one of the largest European travelling shows, as well as a
series of performances, meetings, music, art and theater.
The logo for the city, long a cradle of culture in the
Mediterranean basin, was designed by the 22-year-old fine arts
student Sabrina and features the 'P' of Palermo in four
languages: Phoenician, Hebrew, Arabic and Greek.
The heart of the initiatives will be at Palazzo Sant-Elia,
with photos by Spencer Tunick and Robert Capa, a conference on
Mediterranean philosophies, a retrospective on Japanese artist
Shozo Shimamoto.
Palermo was chosen over the other finalist cities of Alghero,
Aquileia, Comacchio, Ercolano (Herculaneum), Montebelluna,
Recanati, Settimo Torinese, Trento and a group of northern
Sicilian towns.
"We've all won," said Mayor Orlando when the announcement was
made last year. "The most significant cultural asset we uphold
is the culture of welcome."
The jury's citation said that "the candidacy is backed by an
original project, of high cultural value, great humanitarian
scope, strongly and generously aimed at inclusion, permanent
training, the creation of capacity and citizenship, without
neglecting the valorisation of the heritage and contemporary
artistic production".
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