In 2025, Slovenia was one of two European countries to host a European Capital of Culture, alongside Germany’s Chemnitz. Nova Gorica was awarded the title, which it shared with the Italian city of Gorizia: a symbolic and powerful choice, as the entire cultural programme was built around the idea of overcoming the border that had divided the two cities for decades. An urban, physical and mental border, transformed into fertile ground for projects capable of fostering dialogue between artists, communities and creatives from both countries.

In the heart of Michigan’s Copper Country, the word “Finno‑Ugric” has suddenly taken center stage. It is a term that brings together distant peoples — Finns, Karelians, Sámi, Estonians, Hungarians, Khanty, Mansi and many others — united by languages and traditions that stretch across Northern Europe and Siberia. According to Dr. Natalia Abrosimova of Tallinn University, around 25 million people speak a Finno‑Ugric language: a vast, resilient and surprisingly cohesive cultural constellation.

Deputy Mayor Vimini and Councillor Ottaviani were provided by the representatives with the timeframe within which to take the next steps, which will be: to consolidate the joint initiative between Pesaro and Urbino, to strengthen the province’s involvement, to expand the network within the Marche region and across regions, and to prepare in advance for the 2027 event

EcocNews is pleased to feature Sylvia Ammann’s article on a specific study of the legacy left by a European Capital of Culture. 

At the Culture Next conference held in Larnaca, Alma Salem’s presentation attracted considerable interest, owing to the depth of her thinking, the breadth of her narrative, and the relevance of her observations on the Mediterranean and the role of culture in resolving the conflicts currently ravaging the Middle East and the Mediterranean.