Italian Capital of Culture of 2024 - the 10 finalists

This year’s Capital of Culture title is held by Procida, the tiny island in the Gulf of Naples, while the 2023 honour goes to Brescia and Bergamo. The 10 finalists for the Italian Capital of Culture of 2024 have been announced by the Ministry of Culture. Each one city more beautiful than the other. The shortlisted  cities competing for the title must present their bids via video link to a jury appointed by the culture ministry on 3-4 March. Here the list: 

• Ascoli Piceno, a town in the central Marche region
• Chioggia, a coastal town near Venice
• Grosseto, a city near the cost of Tuscany
• Mesagne, a town on the coast of the south-eastern Puglia region
• Pesaro, a city in Le Marche on the Adriatic Sea
• Sestri Levante / Tigullio, near Genoa in the north-west Liguria region
• Siracusa, a city on the east coast of Sicily
• Paestum / Alto Cilento in the Salerno province of the southern Campania region
• Viareggio, a coastal city near Lucca in northern Tuscany
• Vicenza, a city in the north-east Veneto region

The Italian Capital of Culture initiative is based on the European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) initiative which is designed to:

• Highlight the richness and diversity of cultures in Europe
• Celebrate the cultural features Europeans share
• Increase European citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area
• Foster the contribution of culture to the development of cities