Milan, Jan. 17 (LaPresse) – “L’Aquila, the capital of forgiveness, and therefore a capital of peace and reconciliation: this is what Pope Francis said during his visit in August 2022. There is great need for this seed in the world we live in. A seed that can make even more precious and fascinating the year as Italian Capital of Culture that this city embodies and interprets this year. Culture is the rejection of every hostile force that seeks to suppress humanism. We must know how to draw from and be inspired by our roots,” said President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of L’Aquila as Italian Capital of Culture 2026.
“‘It is a mistake,’ wrote Mario Pomilio, a highly refined intellectual from Abruzzo, ‘to think of evil as a substance to be annihilated, when in fact it is the opposite: it is an absence, the absence of love that must be filled with love,’” he added.
“I wish for L’Aquila, in memory of these great cultural figures from these lands, to all the people of Abruzzo, to those who will engage in the 2026 Capital of Culture program, and to those who will visit from other Italian regions, European countries, and other continents, to contribute wisely to filling the gaps of this epochal change. The arts, performances, and educational and cultural initiatives will certainly create opportunities to inspire confidence and to spread it within the community. Best wishes to the Italian Capital of Culture,” concluded the Head of State.