Capital of Culture

European Capital of Culture

Marseille was the European Capital of Culture in 2013 with Košice. [37] Marseille-Provence 2013 (MP2013) presented more than 900 cultural events across Marseille and the surrounding municipalities. These cultural events generated more than 11 million visits. [38] The European Capital of Culture was also the occasion to unveil more than 600 million euros of new cultural infrastructures in and around Marseille, including the emblematic MuCEM designed by Rudy Ricciotti.
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organizes a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension.
Preparing a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for the city to generate considerable cultural, social and economic benefits and to foster urban regeneration, change the image of the city and increase its visibility and influence. international scale.
In 1985, former actress Melina Mercouri, then minister of Greek culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang had the idea to designate a Capital of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of cultures European. awareness of their history and common values.
The Commission of the European Union manages the title and every year the Council of Ministers of the European Union officially designates the European capitals of culture: more than 40 cities have been designated so far.
An international panel of cultural experts is in charge of evaluating the cities’ proposals for the title according to the criteria specified by the European Union.
A 2004 study conducted for the European Commission, known as the “Palmer Report”, showed that the choice of the European Capital of Culture served as a catalyst for cultural development and transformation of the city. [1] Therefore, the beneficial socio-economic development and impact for the chosen city are now taken into account to determine the chosen cities.