ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Celebrating the profound historical link between Romania and Italy, aiming to strengthen bilateral strategic cooperation in the field of arts, science and education: is the goal of the Cultural Year Romania – Italy 2026, promoted by the Presidency of the Commission Culture of the Chamber of Deputies and the Embassy of Romania in Italy and will take place under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, Nicuşor Dan, and the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
The inaugural semester, dedicated to the promotion of Romanian culture in Italy, will open on 1 December 2025, on the occasion of the National Festival of Romania, with a prestigious gala concert of the National Opera of Bucharest at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, which will see the performance of over eighty musicians and soloists of international fame. The homage to opera will continue a few days away with a recital of soloists of the Opera of Bucharest at the Ridotto della Scala in Milan. The programme has been conceived in two complementary semesters that reciprocity as the core value of cultural dialogue: the first, from December 2025 to July 2026, will be dedicated to the promotion of Romanian culture in Italy; the second, from July to December 2026, to the promotion of Italian culture in Romania.
“Every name, every place, every date outlines an itinerary that is not merely programmatic, well-being represents a mutual identity narrative, reaffirming that the closeness between Romania and Italy is not a coincidence of history, but a conscious, reiterated and deeply European choice. Culture is not a simple instrument of representation: it is a political act in the highest sense of the term”, said the ambassador of Romania Gabriela Dancau, who described the 2026 Cultural Year as a tangible manifestation of friendship, historical continuity and of the European vocation that indissolubly binds the two countries, stressing that “culture is not an accessory of the politician: It is, in a full sense, political in its most noble form, since it builds communities of destiny, common horizons, mutual trust”.
To underline the support of the Italian government, it is the undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, according to which initiatives like this are crucial to valorize the richness of their respective cultural identities and to weave new opportunities for dialogue and exchange. “The goal is to promote awareness of our shared roots so that culture becomes increasingly a tool for peace, dialogue and mutual enrichment. We want to show that culture is not only a legacy of the past but also research, innovation and a point for the future. We look at this cultural year as a bridge to a Europe united in culture and, therefore, stronger, more aware and more free. I reaffirm the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the activities that will accompany us commonly in the coming year,” he stressed.
For Federico Mollicone, President of the Culture Committee of the Chamber, the Cultural Year “recognises the role of Romania as a fundamental partner of our common European vision. This palimpsest built, necessarily, through art and culture in the Cultural Year Romania – Italy 2026 is also a fundamental moment to celebrate and strengthen cooperation between our nations, laying the foundations for a more lasting dialogue in a geopolitical context of crisis in which rediscovering the same roots and values strengthens our common identity.”.
– photo xi2/Italpress –
(ITALPRESS)
