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Monreale, in the province of Palermo, is the Italian Book Capital of 2027. The recognition, announced by the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, in the Spadolini Room of the ministry in via del Collegio Romano, was voted unanimously by the jury chaired by Adriano Monti Buzzetti and composed of Flavia Maraston, Fulvia Toscano, Gloria Piaggio and Miguel Gotor.
«The book is not enough in itself, but there are, and they are here in front of us, community realities that know this lesson so well that they have organized a cultural offer that starts from the book and returns to the book, holding the citizens of all the surrounding realities by the hand, knowing that a text is made up of as many letters and words as there are souls of the community that participates in the Capital. Writing in itself makes sense when it is an instrument and vehicle for relationships and dialogue” underlined Giuli. The winning project will receive a contribution of 500 thousand euros from Mic.
«Immense joy, pride and profound gratitude for our entire community», commented the mayor of Monreale, Alberto Arcidiacono and the councilor for public education Patrizia Roccamatisi. “Naturally – underlined the councilor – we will open our contacts to all the other cities that participated”. «Monreale boasts a thousand-year history and, through the “Monreale reads the world” project, it aims to unite the past with the present, projecting itself into the future through books and reading», stated the president of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani.
«The “Monreale reads the world” dossier stands out for its high design quality, strategic coherence and the ability to combine local identity with national and international openness. Particularly appreciable are the attention to inclusion and to the young generations, the involvement of a large and qualified territorial network, the solidity of the governance and the provision of structural interventions intended to produce lasting effects” explains the jury’s motivation. «The judgment – it is underlined – was excellent. Despite the presence of other projects of high quality and worthy of attention.”
«The guiding star was the national scope of the award, the ability to look beyond one’s own borders and think of the whole of Italy. The verdict rewards only one dossier, but does not devalue the strength of the other finalist proposals”, highlighted the president of the Jury, Adriano Monti Buzzetti.
The other finalist cities for the title of Italian Book Capital 2027 were: Chiaromonte (Potenza), Treviso, Nuoro, Pomigliano d’Arco (Naples), Teramo and Iglesias (Sulcis Iglesiente).
The dossier “Monreale reads the world” starts from the history of the city and the Cathedral and from the meeting of Norman, Arab and Byzantine cultures, to make reading an instrument of cohesion and dialogue. The program aims to enhance libraries, reach the hamlets and expand access to people with disabilities, the elderly and the most vulnerable groups. The planned activities include 50 georeferenced ceramic supports with augmented reality content, a multilingual library portal, the “Leggo il Duomo” app, digital storytelling workshops for young people and creative residencies at the Abbey of San Martino delle Scale. The Reading Pact will accompany the process, ensuring its continuity beyond 2027.
«All this is part – concluded Giuli – of an act of general direction which then finds a movement that is reflected in the projects and in the cities to become the capital of the book. Because you win by arriving here, even if you don’t become the capital.”