Pietrasanta lashes out after Alba wins Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2027

Alba has been named the Italian Capital of Contemporary Art for 2027, sparking a bitter reaction from Pietrasanta, one of the losing finalists. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Culture. Alba's mayor, Alberto Gatto, called for cooperation among all candidate cities. However, Pietrasanta's mayor, Alberto Stefano Giovannetti, expressed deep disappointment, claiming the commission's decision did not do justice to his city's potential. He accused Alba of leveraging economic forces linked to the Fondazione Sandretto, which he called the 'true winner.' A private message from Gianfranco De Gregorio, project manager of Termoli's bid, was released by Pietrasanta's administration, criticizing Alba's approach. The controversy has escalated into local and regional political conflict. Giovannetti, who also serves as culture assessor, criticized Tuscany's governor Eugenio Giani for not attending the proclamation ceremony. Meanwhile, Augusto Palermo, president of the Gallerie d'Arte Pietrasanta association, openly criticized Giovannetti's management of the bid, stating that Alba did a good job while Pietrasanta failed to involve local galleries and artists. Regional councilor Claudia Dinelli has proposed establishing a culture commission in Pietrasanta to ensure broader dialogue. Despite the tensions, Pietrasanta may still implement its cultural plan independently. The article was written by Livia Montagnoli for Artribune.