400 mn for Matera European Capital (4)

(ANSA) - Rome, September 26 - The government has earmarked some 400 million euros to help Matera prepare to become European Culture Capital in 2019, Territorial Cohesion and Mezzogiorno Minister Claudio De Vincenti said Tuesday. He said the contract would set up a "governance structure" that "will enable a maximum acceleration in interventions for this great event, both for Matera and for our country".
    De Vincenti said "Matera will not incur debt" and "all the outlays have been covered". The southern Italian city, famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site "Sassi" cave dwellings, is already looking towards 2019. Mayor Raffaello De Ruggieri recently told ANSA that the title gives the city a "not-to-be-missed development opportunity" that will make the city of the Sassi both "appealing, but also attractive for investments". Plans for the year include cultural production, tourism, specialised economy areas, technology, roads, and even a small underground that will cross the city by 2018.
    Centre-right official De Ruggieri is a lawyer as well as founder and president of Matera's Zetema cultural heritage foundation since 1998.
    The man who has for decades pioneered battles to save the city of the Sassi said 2019 mustn't end in a "series of interesting demonstrations" but must be an opportunity also to "change the rhythm of the city in terms of its economic profile".
    De Ruggieri said this concept must absolutely be integrated, for example by taking advantage of the possibilities for filmmaking in the city and offering production companies a sort of Matera version of Cinecitta', with areas set up for pre- and post-production.
    Matera has been used as the backdrop for several films including Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ and Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel According to Matthew.
    De Ruggieri also said the contractual power of the city could be used to "have special economic areas with tax advantages", high-tech work for the area's young people, as well as cultural production districts with "Culture Workshops", that he explained are places where young creatives who want to produce culture could come together and get help from international personalities.
    On the problem of accessibility to the unique town, perched on a steep gorge carved out by the Gravina River, De Ruggieri said the city is looking at options such as a roadway link that would connect the A14 motorway that runs from Bologna in the north to Taranto in the south with the nearby town of Ferrandina.
    All in all, the Basilicata town of 62,000 residents must gear up to host the estimated one million visitors expected to arrive.
    De Ruggieri reiterated that 2019 is a not-to-miss occasion for Matera, and said he remains optimistic.
    "I believe the government is starting to see in Matera's designation as European Capital of Culture for 2019 a unique and strategic time to assert the dignity and credibility of Italy in the world".