The announcement of the Slovenian Committee was greeted in Piazza della Transalpina with a roar, the unanimous voice of the inhabitants of the two border towns.
The square is the symbol of the division but also of the union of the two states . The name, which in Slovenian was trg Bohinjska Proga “square of the Bohinj railway line”, has since 2008 become trg Evrope, which means “square of Europe” and perhaps embodies the soul of this reality: two cities on the outskirts of the heart button of the respective nations but which, if united, can be central in the panorama of the north east and even in Europe.
Perhaps precisely for this reason, in 2025 they will be the capital of culture: the objective of the honorary title conferred each year on two cities, belonging to two different member states of the European Union, is precisely that of protecting the wealth and diversity of European culture, enhance its characteristics and develop an economic activity.
Together with Nova Gorica and Gorizia, Chemnitz, a German city victim of very serious damage during the Second World War, was also chosen for 2025.
The remaining cities were Ljubljana, Piran and Ptuj and with this election “Not only Gorizia and Nova Gorica won, but Europe won”, said the mayor of the Isonzo capital.Rodolfo Ziberna , to whom we asked how the city is preparing for the great event. What are the objectives to be achieved by 2025
“Our goal is not just to carry out the 600 scheduled events, but to reach 2035, 2045, 2055 by modifying an entire territory through culture at 360 degrees, offering a future of international cohesion and integration to our children and grandchildren and to those from all over Europe. Gorizia and new Gorica are borderlands. What are the greatest difficulties in managing such a “centralizing” event
We can be an example for other realities: if we succeeded here, where conditions were the worst due to the tragedies of the twentieth century, undoubtedly those other areas in Europe that suffer from being border territories can also do it. Furthermore, we deal, especially in this historical moment, with the different laws of the two states. For example, for the management of the pandemic: many people live on one side of the border, but study or work on the other. The rules are different and the management is complex, but we do our best. We want to give a signal of commitment and cohesion. A victory for Gorizia, this appointment …
Not only that: for the whole Region. Friuli Venezia Giulia will benefit and grow from this opportunity and the distances from us are such as to allow movement from one city to another without problems, from Veneto to Slovenia. It is an opportunity that will positively mark the future of the two cities but also of the whole territory. Let’s talk about events. What will happen
The events are 600, but the surprising thing is that already for 2022 we have many requests for partnerships for cultural events, even from other Italian regions. 65 requests have already arrived for cultural initiatives that want us to be partners. And all the major events to be held in Friuli Venezia Giulia, if they also have a seat in Gorizia, will get more resources. There is already great excitement, so …
Ferment, enthusiasm and work. A vivacity not expected so soon. But I can say that, in terms of cultural events, Gorizia will be a showcase of the best of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It said “work”. You are already adapting the city
. Certainly: there will be many dedicated spaces and two large dedicated areas: a sports hall for 7000 people, converted into a venue for events, with specific and unique characteristics in the territory that goes from Padua to Ljubljana, and a former market covered with 1,800 m2 with two levels of parking that will be a real agora to host different types of events. And your neighbors
Nova Gorica is also already in operation
Certainly. We are working together and collaborating enthusiastically on this common project. For example: together with the mayor, Klemen Miklavic, we have started a cross-border cycle path of 14 km which aims to define a new tourist-recreational identityaimed at the union of the two cities and that, once completed, will be inserted within a much larger circuit: on the one hand you can go as far as Merna and, on the other, take the Salcano-Bovec or the road which connects Gorizia to Grado.
I want to say that we are two distinct cities that want to grow together. Appointment for 2025, then …
We are waiting for you! Those who come in January will also find our “Rosa di Gorizia” (laughs ed). A tribute with a local flower
No! It is a very precious red radicchio, slow food presidium. An exclusive product of Friuli Venezia Giulia, in limited cultivation, which has enriched our tables for over two centuries. Because culture also passes through culinary traditions …
