Valle Camonica presents itself as a candidate to become Italy’s Capital of Culture; the project titled “10,000 Years of the Future” is launched on a significant date: in 2029 marks the 50th anniversary of the recognition of the territory’s Rock Art on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Valle Camonica bids to be Italy’s Capital of Culture in 2029
The strength of the proposal lies precisely in its territorial scope. The protagonists are not one or two municipalities chosen to represent others, but the entire Valle Camonica. The idea is to craft a program in which museums, archaeological parks, villages, libraries, cultural spaces, and lesser-known places can become parts of the same narrative.
During the unveiling in Milan, the regional Culture Councillor Francesca Caruso emphasized the identity-driven character of the bid and the significance of UNESCO’s 50th anniversary. The challenge, from a regional standpoint, will be to ensure that historical heritage is not merely something to conserve, but becomes an opportunity for research, design and employment.
The bid also arrives at a moment when the valley can bring together several anniversaries and paths already started. In addition to the 50 years of the UNESCO site, the territory can rely on the experience of the UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve, on the network of archaeological parks, on the museums, on the Cultural District, on the Valle dei Segni Foundation and on its relations with universities and research centers.
And the rock engravings, while remaining the most immediate reference, do not exhaust the Camunian heritage. There are Roman remains, castles, churches, villages, sacred art and the works of Romanino. Then there is contemporary production, which in the bid should become one of the bridges between the past and what Valle Camonica and the territory in the province of Bergamo want to be in the coming years.
The Program and Why Valle Camonica Is Bidding
“10,000 Years of the Future” is, even before being a slogan, the synthesis of the positioning chosen for the dossier. Valle Camonica aims to start from the marks left by humans on rock and use them as a key to talk about the signs a community can leave today: cultural, social, environmental and technological.
The final program must translate this idea into concrete projects, events and interventions. Among the themes indicated in the preparatory process are the mountains, the inclusive nature of the bid, the identity of the Valle dei Segni, UNESCO, tourism and hospitality, the involvement of private actors, and the construction of governance capable of managing a complex project.
The chapter on cultural infrastructure will not be missing, but the bid will not hinge solely on the quantity of events or the ability to fill a calendar. One of the core questions will be participation. Youth, schools, associations, citizens and businesses must be involved in shaping the program, with careful attention to accessibility and inclusion.
The project of the Italian Capital of Culture explicitly calls for the use of new tools to broaden access to culture and reach younger audiences with the help of technology. For Valle Camonica, it could also become a way to tell the archaeological heritage through languages other than the traditional ones. After the institutional debut at Palazzo Pirelli, the bid will be officially presented in Valle Camonica on Saturday, September 19, at the National Museum of Prehistory in Capo di Ponte. It is not the only candidate in the running, of course: Bassano del Grappa is also among the contenders.
