From Italy to Europe, to Egypt, we highlight a list of appointments and news in some of the best destinations in the world to visit this year, selected by the flight and hotel search engine
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Bergamo and Brescia, Italian Capitals of Culture – The Italian Capital of Culture, an idea launched in 2014, aims to promote the enhancement of the Italian cultural heritage with projects and activities. Now for the first time two cities have been chosen as the Italian Capital of Culture, a recognition of their cultural vitality despite what they experienced during the pandemic. For Bergamo and Brescia it means the launch of a wide-ranging project to face contemporary challenges centered on culture, sustainability, enhancement of the artistic heritage, well-being and innovation. Bergamo and Brescia become a single “enlightened” city and a single capital. Four thematic axes: city and nature, hidden treasures, the city that invents and culture as a cure.
In London the coronation of King Charles III of England – The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey in London. Camilla, the queen consort, will also be crowned during the historic ceremony, albeit with a simpler ritual. Buckingham Palace said the ceremony will combine the ancient and the modern. Coronations have been held in Westminster Abbey in London for over 900 years: the medieval church has always been the setting for a ceremony that represents a mix of religious and constitutional symbolism. A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the life of the royal family, with visits and exhibitions at Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace and Buckingham Palace. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, including the Imperial State Crown worn by monarchs after their coronation.
The castles of the Loire and the exhibition on Louis XI – Visiting the castles of the Loire and their splendid surroundings never needs a particular motivation, they are so famous and beautiful. However one of the most sought after sites is the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci, found in the chapel of St Hubert in the royal castle of Amboise, which has been closed for almost two years for renovations. It will reopen in 2023, in conjunction with a major exhibition on Louis XI, on the 600th anniversary of his birth. Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked in this castle and in the nearby Clos-Lucé at the invitation of François I in 1516: “Here you will be free to dream, think and work,” the king assured him. Models of his inventions are exhibited in the cellars and in the park and splendid gardens that bear his name, there are twenty of the formidable machines he designed that work along an interactive path with impressive visual and sound effects.
Musical anniversaries in Vienna – Vienna has always been the European capital of art and music. Among the notable anniversaries in its 2023 cultural agenda, two of the city’s great institutions, the Vienna State Opera Ball and the Vienna Philharmonic, celebrate their 65th and 80th anniversaries respectively. The Opera Ball on 16 February will take place under the motto “In the name of solidarity”, in collaboration with Österreich hilft Österreich (Austria helps Austria), to raise funds for the people most affected by the pandemic. Additionally, the Belvedere, home to Gustav Klimt’s famous Kiss, is celebrating its 300th anniversary with a year-long exhibition, ‘The Belvedere: 300 Years of Art’, which pays homage to the museum’s impact on Vienna’s art history . In 2023 it will not be possible to miss “Klimt. Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse…”, an exhibition in collaboration between the Belvedere and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam which will present the artists who most influenced the master of Viennese modernism .
The Year of Picasso in Spain and France – To mark the 50th anniversary of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso’s death on April 8, 1973, 2023 celebrates his work and artistic legacy. For the anniversary, the governments of France and Spain have decided to collaborate on an international program. “Picasso Celebration 1973-2023” will be based on around fifty exhibitions around the world, including 16 in Spain. In Madrid, the Museo Nacional del Prado, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Picasso Museum in Malaga, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Picasso Museum in Barcelona will host some of them. An important international meeting will be held in the autumn of 2023, which will also coincide with the opening of the Center d’Etudes Picasso in Paris.
Liverpool ospita l’Eurovision Song Contest – As last year’s Eurovision Song Contest winners Ukraine are sadly unable to host it at the moment, Liverpool (UK) will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, with the grand final taking place at Liverpool Arena on the River Mersey on Saturday 13 May and the semi-finals on Tuesday 9 May and Thursday 11 May. The BBC has taken on the task of hosting other winning countries on four previous occasions, and this year will ensure that the winner of 2022, Ukraine, is celebrated and represented throughout the event.
Timisoara, Eleusis and Veszprém European Capitals of Culture – The great cultural and tourist invention conceived by Melina Mercuri in 1985 has three protagonists this year: Timișoara (Romania), Eleusi (Greece) and Veszprém (Hungary). The Timisoara 2023 program involves over 1,800 artists and cultural operators, 55 artists in residence, 329 local events and productions, over 1,300 volunteers engaged in projects and collaborations with operators and institutions from 26 European countries. As part of the program, the city will host a major exhibition on the work of sculptor Constantin Brancusi. “Mysteries of the transition” is the title of the Eleusis programme, focused on four objectives: Culture, People, City and Environment. With its archaeological site, its ancient port and a series of abandoned industrial buildings which in some cases are transformed into cultural venues, Eleusis is a dynamic city which resembles an open-air museum, ready to give visitors many surprises, through artist residencies, original site-specific works, exhibitions. The Veszprém-Balaton program is also rich, which among other things includes the pop-up exhibition Pure Lake Balaton, Pure Art by HybridCycle, with paintings, photographs and works of visual art on the theme of sustainability.
Cuenca Spanish capital of gastronomy – Among the main cities of Castile-La Mancha, it has been designated Spanish Capital of Gastronomy for this year (CEG). The CEG is an annual event created by the Spanish Federation of Tourism Journalists and Writers and the Spanish Federation of Hotels and Restaurants. program of gastronomic activities throughout the year, which will highlight the variety of its products and the culinary innovation of its chefs.Its gastronomic offer is based on an austere and simple cuisine, in total connection with the surrounding natural environment. typical products of Cuenca are the alajú, a sweet made with almonds, spices and honey covered with two wafers, the zarajos, the morteruelo, the atascaburras and other dishes such as the gazpacho, the caldereta, the migas, the stews and the dishes made from large game, such as deer and wild boar, and a liqueur called resolí.
In Tuscany the Festival and the Month of Giacomo Puccini – In view of the centenary of the death of Giacomo Puccini, one of the most important composers of all time, which took place in 1924, the Pucciniano Festival and the Mese Pucciniano are organized – as every year – in Torre del Lago in Tuscany. Born in Lucca but enchanted by the charm of Torre del Lago, the composer never left these places, which often inspired him to create his internationally renowned works: La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Turandot. The Puccini Festival is the most important opera event in Italy and the only one in the world dedicated to Puccini. It takes place in July and August and offers the opportunity to listen to great stars of world opera interpreting Puccini’s masterpieces in a large open-air theater on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli, right in front of Puccini’s House Museum. Between November 29, the anniversary of Giacomo Puccini’s death, and December, the Puccini Month unfolds among numerous concerts, conferences and shows and ends on January 1 with the New Year’s Concert.
Tutankhamun and the Great Egyptian Museum – Although the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb took place on November 4, 1922, Egypt intends to celebrate the centenary of its discovery in 2023, coinciding with the anticipated opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which will be the largest archaeological museum in the world and will house over 100,000 exhibits. Also on the horizon and already under construction is Egypt’s controversial new administrative capital, east of Cairo, which will replace the current complex as the center of government, proudly displaying Africa’s tallest tower and the 35-kilometer Green River Park, designed to mimic the shape of the Nile.
