The Lake Garda has launched its bid to become European Capital of Culture 2029, with the application presented on Wednesday 16 September in the Marriage Hall of the Municipality of Bardolino. The project is supported by Giordano Bruno Guerri, historian and essayist and president of the Vittoriale degli Italiani, who will act as ambassador for the initiative.
The bid is based on the idea of Garda as a single territory capable of expressing a shared vision beyond administrative and regional borders. The application has formally gathered the backing of more than 160 entities, including 37 municipalities across the lake and nearby areas, among them 24 lakeside towns on the three shores, spanning three regions (Veneto, Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige). It also includes 56 institutions, foundations, universities, consortia and businesses, plus more than 70 local associations. Garda Unico president Stefania Lorenzoni said that quality is the real goal for Garda and that culture is the most authentic tool to pursue it, adding that the project aims to turn the lake from a tourist destination into a cultural laboratory, guided by culture, participation and a shared identity.
An event is scheduled for Friday 18 September at 18:00 at the Parco di Villa Carrara Bottagisio in Bardolino, titled “Three shores, one cultural identity. A lake at the heart of the world.” During the evening, institutional representatives from the three shores will sign the “Patto per il Lago di Garda”, a formal commitment to promote the lake as a single cultural heritage. The official application dossier will be deposited on 23 September with the Ministry of Culture, and during the presentation press conference the Bardolino Capitale flag was raised on the historic wooden boat San Nicolò, followed by a brief symbolic navigation by participants.
Italian Version
