On January 10, the mayorof L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, attended the official closing ceremony for Agrigento as the 2025 Italian Capital of Culture at the Luigi Pirandello Theater, as well as the simultaneous handover to L’Aquila, which was awarded the title for 2026.

Among those who attended the ceremony were the mayor of Agrigento, Francesco Miccichè, and the president of the Agrigento 2025 Foundation, Maria Teresa Cucinotta, as well as representatives from regional institutions and the ministry, along with figures from the cultural and artistic worlds.

In his remarks, Mayor Biondi thanked Agrigento for the work it has done, describing the handover as “a symbolic gesture between cities that share the same responsibility: to transform their history into energy for the future.”

The Agrigento 2025 project, titled “The Self, the Other, and Nature. Cultural Relations and Transformations, ” focused on the relationship between the individual, the community, and the environment, involving the entire province and the island of Lampedusa as a symbolic space of the Mediterranean and of dialogue among peoples.

“Agrigento and L’Aquila are different cities, but they share a culture that springs from the margins and speaks to the heart of the nation,” Biondi emphasized. “Agrigento has showcased a vibrant and responsible classical heritage; L’Aquila is preparing to take up this baton with the ‘Multiverse City’ project, aiming to become Italy’sfirst true ‘diffused capital.’”

During his speech, the mayor highlighted the central role of the younger generations, emphasizing that culture is a crucial tool for asserting the right to stay, creating opportunities, and building attractive and inclusive communities: “Investing in culture,” he noted, “means creating an ecosystem capable of offering young people not only opportunities for self-expression, but also concrete prospects for personal and professional growth in the communities where they choose to live.” In this regard, Biondi quoted the words of President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who, in his end-of-year address, urged the younger generations “not to give up, but to be demanding and courageous in building their own future.” The ceremony concluded with a symbolic handover: the mayor of L’Aquila placed the Capital of Culture bracelet on Mayor Miccichè’s wrist and received the baton that officially marks L’Aquila’s journey toward 2026.

In bidding farewell to the Agrigento community, Mayor Biondi extended an open invitation to the city and its residents to participatein the launch of L’Aquila’s year as Italian Capital of Culture on January 17, an opening day that will feature a series of official celebrations attended by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli.

“A cultural thread runs from the Mediterranean to the Apennines, holding Italy together,” Biondi concluded. “L’Aquila takes up this baton with pride and a sense of responsibility, in the belief that culture is a matter of public policy and a lever for the future.”