BUCHAREST: Romania and Italy have officially launched the Romania-Italy Cultural Year 2026, the first major bilateral cultural project of its kind in the history of the two countries.
The programme was presented in Rome on Monday in the presence of senior Italian officials, diplomats, and journalists.
The initiative, held under the High Patronage of Romanian President Nicusor Dan and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, will celebrate the cultural, historical, and European ties between the two nations.
Organised by the Romanian Embassy in Italy with support from both countries’ Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, as well as partner institutions, the Cultural Year is described as one of the most ambitious joint projects ever undertaken. It is also the first time Romania and Italy will host a Cultural Year simultaneously.
The programme will run in two stages: First semester (Dec 2025 – July 2026): Romanian culture will be showcased in Italy. The opening event will be a gala concert at the Rome Opera on Romania’s National Day, 1 December 2025, followed by a recital at La Scala in Milan. Other highlights include the exhibition *“Brancusi: The Origins of Infinity”* in Rome, a ballet performance in Bari, and a major avant-garde exhibition in Palermo. Second semester: Italian culture will be promoted in Romania, with details to be announced later.
Romania’s Ambassador to Italy, Gabriela Dancau, described the project as a “shared narrative of identity,” stressing that culture is not just an accessory to politics but “its noblest form.”
Italian officials also voiced strong support. Maria Tripodi, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called culture “a tool of peace and mutual enrichment.” Lawmakers Fabrizio Comba and Federico Mollicone praised the initiative as a decisive step in strengthening cooperation and dialogue between the two nations.
The event also featured the presentation of the official logo of the Cultural Year, designed by Romania’s National Heritage Institute, symbolising the closeness and shared vision of the two countries. –Agencies
