It ended last night at Palazzo Ducale “Genoa meets Calabria”the two days of literary events that animated the Ligurian capital on Friday and Saturday in the sign of friendship and the imminent handover between Genoa and the Municipality of Taurianova, in the province of Reggio Calabria, as Italian Book Capital.
The passing of the baton between Genoa and Taurianova will officially take place on May 11th at the Book Fair of Turin, between the press conference to present the Taurianova Capitale del Libro project – on 2 May – and the official inauguration of the exhibition on 16 May, with the reopening of the municipal library “A. Renda” and the start of the “Taurianova Legge” exhibition.
Organized by the Municipality of Genoa and the Cultural Association Oltre Confine, with the artistic direction of Show Eventi, and the participation of the Municipality of Taurianova and the Calabria Region, the “Genoa meets Calabria” event united Genoa and Taurianova for two days in a fruitful exchange of cultural and literary suggestions.
Like the Salone di Representative of Palazzo Tursi on Friday, yesterday it was the stage of the Salone del Maggior Consiglio of Palazzo Ducale that hosted the presentation of two books: “The restless atom” by Mimmo Gangemi and “A happy country” by Carmine Abate, before the passing of the baton between Genoa and Taurianova in the presence of the mayor of Genoa, the mayor and the councilor for culture of Taurianova, and the director of Palazzo Ducale Ilaria Bonacossa. Also present was the president of the Calabria Film Commission Foundation Anton Giulio Grande.
The ceremony concluded with a performance by the Calabrian pianist Beatrice Zoccali, the highest representative in Italy of Francesco Cilea, the composer born in Palmi and famous for the opera Adriana Lecouvreur.
«We have embraced the role of Book Capital with fervor and commitment, promoting reading, art and creativity in all its forms – declares the mayor of Genoa – We welcomed authors, poets, publishers and book lovers, creating a vibrant and stimulating atmosphere that enriched the cultural life of our city. But like every great story, this one too has a final chapter. Today, with pride and hope, we pass the baton to Taurianova, a city that will welcome the title of Book Capital with the same warmth and passion.”
«It was an exciting weekend: Genoa as the Italian Capital of the Outgoing Book gave us a wonderful welcome. A party that managed to become the story of our small town and of Calabria – comments the mayor of Taurianova – Testimony of how in the heart of the South and in a small center this recognition is a precious opportunity not only for the rebirth of the territory and local communities, but the starting point for a collective change aimed at enhancing the vast cultural heritage of Calabria, material and immaterial. A meeting, the one with Genoa, which aims to be the first of a series of comparisons and exchanges of visions aimed at creating synergy with the culturally active places of the Peninsula”.
There will also be ample space for some literary meetings featuring illustrious exponents of contemporary Calabrian literature, for what the organizers of “Genoa meets Calabria” have imagined and conceived as an ideal bridge between Genoa and Calabria, linked since the Middle Ages by a close relationship commercial, economic and cultural, but also social: in fact, currently, there are almost 20 thousand Genoese residents of Calabrian origins.
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