From Gorizia to L'Aquila to Pordenone: a journey through Italy's

From Gorizia to L'Aquila to Pordenone: a journey through Italy's Capitals of Culture

The cultural thread opened by Gorizia and Nova Gorica in 2025 continues toward the Apennines: L'Aquila, Italy's Capital of Culture 2026, with Pordenone preparing to take the baton in 2027. The route connects border areas, recovery processes and territorial regeneration, offering visitors a varied panorama of heritage, landscape and community life.

Today L'Aquila stands as an example of rebirth: its restored historic centre, the geometric façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio and the iconic Fountain of the 99 Spouts sit beneath the Gran Sasso massif, illustrating the ongoing dialogue between nature and urban space. On the eastern front, the Gorizia–Nova Gorica experience retains its value as a cross‑border cultural bridge. Meanwhile, Friuli is already preparing for 2027 with tangible tools to promote the territory.

• Highlights in L'Aquila: historic centre, Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, Fountain of the 99 Spouts, trails in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park.
• Gorizia and Nova Gorica: a transnational project featuring shared spaces and joint cultural programming.
• Pordenone 2027: the guide Pordenone. Città che sorprende, produced by PromoTurismoFVG, is available free at the Piazza Cavour InfoPoint, the Civic Museums and the Civic Library; published in Italian, English and German.

Travel tips: the itinerary can be adapted to different rhythms: driving allows detours to small villages, while combining high‑speed and regional trains reduces driving; long‑distance bus services also link key nodes. Adopt a slow‑travel approach: take time to observe landscape changes, attend cultural events and discover less frequented localities.

In short, the succession of Capitals of Culture sketches a national narrative that links borders, history and environment—an invitation to explore cities and territories reshaping their identity through culture.