Pistoia, Italian Capital of Culture 2017

January 25, 2016 will remain a special date in the history of Pistoia; the then Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini proclaimed  Pistoia Italian Capital of Culture 2017 in front of the mayor Samuele Bertinelli and the mayors of the other finalist cities: Aquileia, Como, Ercolano, Parma, Pisa, Spoleto, Taranto and Terni.

Until recently, few would have thought that this city would be able to reach such an important milestone, prevailing among candidates of undoubted value, but the Tuscan capital managed to present a project in line with the requests and expectations of the tender and to win the title of Capital of Culture 2017 .

With this recognition, Pistoia has obtained the opportunity to occupy a front row seat among the Italian cities that promote and support culture and progress. 

The Santa Barbara Fortress, one of the ancient fortifications of the city of Pistoia commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici

The project presented by Pistoia to obtain the title of Capital of Italian Culture 2017 owes its success to the combination of different factors such as the management of the urban area, the organization of the library system, the predisposition towards international openness and the quality of the partnerships placed to support the project.

At the heart of this process was a continuous exchange between the promoters, aimed at enhancing the cultural and natural resources of the Pistoia area.
The nomination of the city in 2017 and the subsequent increase in tourist flows have led to an improvement in the quality and use of services in the city, an increase in spaces dedicated to creative activities and the redevelopment of the area.

A different view of Pistoia's main square, Piazza del Duomo

Pistoia 's candidacy   was promoted by the Municipality together with the Tuscany Region, the Province, the Diocese of Pistoia, the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation, the Cassa di Risparmio and the Chamber of Commerce. Giulia Cogoli, Carlo Sisi and Virgilio Sieni are the members of the Scientific Committee, while the role of project manager was entrusted to Giuseppe Gherpelli.

City of Pistoia seen from above: in the center the dome of the Basilica of the Madonna dell'Umiltà, one of the few in the world with a double dome, created by Giorgio Vasari