Valle Camonica to compete for Italy's 2029 Capital of Culture after

Valle Camonica to compete for Italy's 2029 Capital of Culture after regional approval

On 15 April 2026 the Lombardy Regional Council unanimously approved a motion committing the regional government to support the Valle Camonica's bid for Italy’s Capital of Culture 2029. The proposal favors a ‘diffuse capital’ approach that connects multiple communities, landscapes and cultural identities rather than a single city.

• Why it matters: the bid aims to promote the area’s rock art—Italy’s first UNESCO site in 1979—alongside environmental assets such as the Valle Camonica-Alto Sebino UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and large protected parks.
• Proposed model: a territorial network encompassing 24 municipalities and more than 180 sites, from prehistoric engravings to later artistic cycles.
• Next steps: local authorities must develop the project to submit to the Ministry of Culture; the national call for 2029 is expected in the coming months.
• Strategic goal: leverage millennia-old heritage to build a contemporary platform for culture, innovation and sustainable tourism.

The candidacy is positioned as an opportunity to coordinate existing investments and projects on the territory, enhancing both historical assets and environmental-touristic potential.