European Capital of Culture Explained: Italy’s Bids

The European Capital of Culture is a title the European Union awards each year to cities that then run a year-long programme of cultural events. Today it goes to cities in two EU member states each year and, every third year, also to a city in a candidate country, a potential candidate or an EFTA country. Italy has held it four times on its own: Florence in 1986, Bologna in 2000, Genoa in 2004 and Matera in 2019. Its next turn comes in 2033.

This page is an editorial explainer by the Perugia & Umbria Guide. It is not connected to the European Union, any city or any former bid. The rules and official documents are published by the European Commission.

How the title began

The initiative started in 1985 with Athens as the first ‘European City of Culture’. The idea was to bring Europeans closer by highlighting the cultural richness of their cities. In the early years, the title was mostly given to well-known cultural centres. Over time the focus shifted towards using culture to change cities: new venues, more participation by residents and longer-term development.

The name changed to European Capital of Culture in 1999, and since then the rules have been revised several times.

How cities are chosen today

The process is set out in an EU decision and runs over several years.

Stage	What happens	Typical timing before the title year
Call	The host country invites its cities to apply	About six years
Pre-selection	Cities submit bid books; an independent expert panel shortlists a few	About six years
Final selection	Shortlisted cities submit revised bids; the panel recommends one	About five years
Designation	The host country formally names the winner	About four years
Monitoring	The panel follows the preparations	Until the title year

The panel looks at the long-term cultural strategy, the European dimension of the programme, its artistic content, the city’s capacity to deliver, outreach to residents and the management of the project. A city that meets its commitments can receive a monetary prize named after the former Greek culture minister who proposed the initiative.

Italy and the title

Earlier title holders

Florence was the second city to hold the title, in 1986. Bologna was one of nine cities sharing the millennium year 2000. Genoa followed in 2004, linking the title to the renewal of its old port.

The 2019 competition

For 2019, the title went to Italy and Bulgaria. In Italy, a large number of cities applied, and in late 2013 the expert panel shortlisted six: Cagliari, Lecce, Matera, Perugia (with Assisi and other Umbrian towns), Ravenna and Siena. In October 2014 the panel recommended Matera, the city of the Sassi cave dwellings in Basilicata. Plovdiv was chosen in Bulgaria.

Matera’s year in 2019 is often cited as an example of a smaller city using the title to change its image and attract new visitors.

The Italian Capital of Culture

After the 2019 race, the Italian government created a national title, the Italian Capital of Culture. The five finalists that did not win the European title shared it for 2015. Since then the national title has been awarded to one city each year, chosen in its own competition. It has become a stepping stone for cities that want to build a cultural strategy.

Cross-border: GO! 2025

In 2025 the title went to Nova Gorica in Slovenia, which designed its programme together with neighbouring Gorizia in Italy. The two towns were divided by a border after the Second World War, and the programme focused on that shared history.

Looking ahead: 2033

Italy is due to host the title again in 2033, together with the Netherlands. The Italian call is expected to come several years before. Media following the competition have reported that a number of cities are preparing, including Norcia in Umbria, which is rebuilding after the 2016 earthquakes. Official lists of candidates will only exist once the call has closed.

What the bid means for visitors to Perugia today

For a traveller, the competition matters less than what is there to see. Perugia and the towns around it already offer the things a cultural year tries to highlight: medieval squares, Renaissance painting, music festivals and lively university life. Our pages on things to do in Perugia, Renaissance art in Umbria and the region’s festival calendar are the best place to start, and our seven-day itinerary links the main towns.

Sources and further reading

• European Commission: European Capitals of Culture, rules, selection reports and list of past and future title holders.
• Selection panel reports for the Italian competitions, published by the European Commission.
• Italian Ministry of Culture: information on the Italian Capital of Culture.