Parma Named Italian Capital of Culture 2020

Parma has been designated the Italian Capital of Culture for 2020, announced at a ceremony in Rome at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The jury, chaired by Stefano Baia Curioni, selected Parma from ten finalists including Agrigento, Bitonto, Casale Monferrato, Macerata, Merano, Nuoro, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, and Treviso. The city will receive one million euros from the government to fund cultural projects. The winning dossier, titled "La cultura batte tempo" (Culture Beats Time), outlines 32 projects across seven socio-cultural districts blending history, tradition, and modernity. The jury praised Parma's ability to coordinate a complex network of public and private stakeholders, its engagement with universities and research, and its focus on youth and musical heritage. Minister Dario Franceschini noted that the initiative was inspired by the competition for European Capital of Culture 2019 and has already boosted visibility for previous winners Mantua, Pistoia, and Palermo. Mayor Federico Pizzarotti expressed emotion, highlighting the collaborative effort with other finalists from Emilia-Romagna. Previous Italian Capitals of Culture include Cagliari, Lecce, Ravenna, Siena, Perugia-Assisi (2015), Mantua (2016), Pistoia (2017), and Palermo (2018).