Italian Capital of Culture for the year 2022: Verbania was among the shortlisted cities

Verbania was among the 10 cities running for the title of Italian Capital of Culture. Eventually Procida won.

Verbania - and the whole Lago Maggiore - were dreaming of becoming the next Italian Capital of Culture, but their dream never came true, since the Italian Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali e il Turismo proclaimed Procida the new Capital of Culture some days ago. 

Procida will be Capital of Culture after Matera (also European Capital of Culture in 2019) and Parma (Italian Capital of Culture in 2020 and 2021). 

The process involved creating a first list of 28 cities, among which the ten finalists were then chosen: Ancona, Bari, l’Aquila (three regional capitals) Taranto, Trapani, Verbania (three province capitals) and the last four, Cerveteri, Pieve di Soligo, Procida and Volterra. 

The ten shortlisted cities presented their dossier to the Italian Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali e per il Turismo, explaining their cultural project. As you can guess, it was easy linking Verbania and Lago Maggiore, a connection emphasised also in the title “Culture reflects” (La cultura riflette). So the lake is not only seen as a part of a landscape but also and most importantly as the cultural driving force of the whole territory. 

Procida will be given a €1 million prize, but winning the title of Italian Capital of Culture means creating a virtuous circle between the social and economic institutions of the area. 

So, even if Verbania didn’t win the contest, being among the shortlisted cities is a sign of the strong tourist relevance of Lago Maggiore, its charm and the high quality of life. At the same time, these elements make houses for sale Lago Maggiore something people can’t resist. 

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