Pesaro: the beginning of its journey as Italian Capital of Culture 2024 with a year-long series of events

Pesaro’s adventure as the Italian Capital of Culture 2024 is now underway. The city promises a rich program of high-quality events, offering a unique experience that will shine a light on the historical and artistic excellence of both the city and the surrounding area. As the capital of the Marche region, Pesaro has been named the Italian Capital of Culture this year, presenting an exceptional program for both residents and tourists. This includes global and national premieres and numerous events spread across 50 municipalities in the province. The project, titled 50x50 Capitali al Quadrato, kicks off in the town of Vallefoglia from January 22 to 28, allowing each participating location to be in the spotlight for a week.

The theme chosen for this edition is The Nature of Culture, which aims to be an expansive and collective exploration of the relationship between art, nature, and technology. It has the ambitious goal of promoting participation, inclusivity, and dialogue with the environment. Across the 45 projects that make up the extensive program of Pesaro Capital of Culture 2024, nature is explored in various forms: industrious, omnipresent, unpredictable, dynamic, and alive.

"Many will come to Pesaro to meet you, to discover your historical and artistic heritage. This is a consequence of the circularity of culture, which does not tolerate restrictions or borders, which demands respect for the choices of every citizen, and which rejects the claim of public authorities or large corporations to steer sensibilities toward a monopoly of thought. If culture is knowledge, creativity, emotion, passion, and feeling, then it is the foundation of our freedoms, including that of being together," said President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella at the inauguration of Pesaro as the Italian Capital of Culture, held on January 20 at the Vitrifrigo Arena.

Pesaro Italian Capital of Culture 2024: A Glimpse of the Program

In the coming months, Pesaro will come alive with exhibitions, concerts, artist residencies, walks to discover the region, urban art, theater performances, happenings, interdisciplinary workshops, food and wine events, collective readings, and music marathons that will enrich the cultural life of the city.

In Piazza del Popolo, the Biosphere will become the symbol of the themes of The Nature of Culture, perfectly complementing the Arnaldo Pomodoro’s Sphere, which has graced the city’s waterfront since being placed in Piazza della Libertà. This sphere, measuring 4 meters in diameter, will project video images through a mosaic of 2 million LEDs and will interact with the audience using sound and color stimuli, creating an immersive experience. The inauguration is scheduled for the first half of February.

From March to June, under the Reali Meraviglie brand, Pesaro will host a series of large-scale installations, immersive experiences, and performances with a strong visual and participatory impact. These events, both indoors and outdoors, will highlight technologies that help deepen our understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature. International artists will contribute to the project, creating site-specific works or exclusive adaptations for Pesaro 2024, reflecting on Anthropocene themes.

The program also includes concerts by artists like Claudio Baglioni, Max Gazzè, and the Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, as well as performances by actors from the Stagione di Prosa Capitale at Teatro Rossini, including Virginia Raffaele, Drusilla Foer, and Arturo Brachetti. Journalists, politicians, and figures such as Senator Liliana Segre and Ingrid Betancourt, a living symbol of the fight against terrorism, will also make appearances.

From March 22 to 24, Parco Mirafiore will come alive with visual art thanks to the Spark project by Studio Roosegarde, which is coming to Italy for the first time. This performance will simulate the light of thousands of fireflies through small organic and biodegradable fireworks, offering a unique and enchanting spectacle.

Among the highly anticipated performances is the world-renowned artist Marina Abramović and her work The Life, which premiered in 2019 in London. In Pesaro, it will be hosted at the Centro Arti Visive Pescheria, which is organizing the project From Sculptures in the City to the Art of Communities as a tribute to the Arnaldo Pomodoro exhibition held in 1971 at the Galleria Segnapassi.

Twelve artists, twelve residencies, twelve artworks: this is the driving force behind the project that is bringing life to the neighborhoods of Pesaro. Each artist, with the support of a curator or team, will create site-specific works in close collaboration with the local community.

Visitors can also experience the Sonosfera of Pesaro, located at Palazzo Mosca, which also houses the Civic Museums. This one-of-a-kind theater allows listeners to immerse themselves in the sounds of the world, including ecosystems and the sonic heritage of equatorial primary forests. Equipped with 45 speakers that interact with each other, the Sonosfera creates a spherical sound field close to reality, offering a powerful sensory exploration of soundscapes and visuals. This experience is designed by David Monacchi, a professor at the Rossini Conservatory.

Additionally, a rich public program will introduce contemporary art, along with an exhibition dedicated to the monumental works of Arnaldo Pomodoro at the former Pescheria, inviting visitors to reflect on the legacy of his installations.

In August, the 45th edition of the Rossini Opera Festival will captivate audiences with its sets and costumes, which will be on display at the Rossini Theater warehouses and shops in the city center. The calendar includes five new operas: two new productions—Ermione and Bianca e Falliero—and three revivals—L'equivoco stravagante, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Il viaggio a Reims by the young talents of the Accademia Rossiniana.

The Scavolini Auditorium, set to open on February 29, 2024, during the “Happy Birthday Rossini” celebration, will be a hallmark of Pesaro as the Italian Capital of Culture, hosting the first evening of the festivities.

Finally, in September, visitors can immerse themselves in the musical experience Kagami by Ryuichi Sakamoto, featuring Tin Drum, a mix of photography, video art, and augmented reality. The Twin Color project, curated by Murcof and Simon Geilfus, will transport visitors into the captivating world of electronic music and technology.

Exploring the City with the Pesaro Capital Card

For those eager to discover the city’s historical and artistic heritage, the Pesaro Capital Card has been available since January 2. It provides access to all the facilities of Pesaro Musei and affiliated sites in the 50 municipalities of the Pesaro and Urbino Province. The card also allows participation in events scheduled for Pesaro Capital, including those previously mentioned.

With this card, visitors can access Palazzo Mosca, Casa Rossini, the archaeological area of Via dell’Abbondanza, the Centro Arti Visive Pescheria, the Ducal Palace, and many more sites, all of which are listed on the official website of the Pesaro Capital card.

The launch of the new card also marked the announcement of two new additions: a partnership with the Archdiocese of Pesaro, integrating the Diocesan Museum and the Church of the Name of God into the Pesaro Musei network, and with Sistema Museo, allowing the National Rossini Museum at Palazzo Montani Antaldi to join the network. The opening hours of Pesaro Musei sites have also been extended to provide better service to tourists visiting Pesaro Capital.

Food, Wine, and Cultural Tourism in Pesaro

Alongside its cultural heritage, Pesaro’s food and wine tourism—and that of the Marche region in general—provides a perfect backdrop for travelers who enjoy immersing themselves in culture while savoring local dishes and wines.

Pesaro’s cuisine is closely tied to the sea, particularly its "bluefish," and the surrounding inland areas. Notable maritime delicacies include passatelli with seafood, an authentic De.Co. certified dish, and quadrucci with chickpeas and clams, best enjoyed in Fiorenzuola di Focara. The piadina scottadito filled with fresh sardoncini is also a must-try.

From the inland areas, we can highlight the delicious Carpegna DOP ham, renowned for its unique curing process, as well as typical meat dishes like cappelletti alla pesarese—stuffed pasta with Marche PGI beef—and pasticciata—a veal round roast simmered in tomato sauce.

For fans of Rossini-inspired cuisine, there are cannelloni alla Rossini with chicken and veal liver and porcini mushrooms, as well as olivette di vitello alla Rossini, veal rolls filled with basil and Carpegna ham. The famous Rossini pizza, topped with egg and mayonnaise, is celebrated with a grand feast during “La Rossini – Festival della pizza pesarese” on September 6.

To accompany these dishes, nothing pairs better than local wines like Bianchello del Metauro DOC, the Colli Pesaresi in all their varieties, from red to white, Roncaglia bianco, and Focara Rosso and Novello.