The Governing Council of the Italian National UNESCO Commission (CNIU) adopted the candidacies of Faenza for the Crafts and Folk Arts sector and La Spezia for the Design sector as Italy’s candidates for the 2025 UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The Foreign Ministry, in close collaboration with the CNIU and the Ministry of Culture, played a crucial role in the selection of candidates, proactively supporting the promotion of these cities as examples of creative excellence.
The Creative Cities Network, launched in 2004, aims to promote creativity as an engine of sustainable development by fostering cooperation between cities that see culture as a fundamental value for economic, social, cultural and environmental progress. The network currently counts 350 cities worldwide, 14 of which are in Italy.
The CNIU has expressed its support for Faenza’s candidacy, recognising the important craft tradition of ceramics and the many innovative cultural initiatives that the city promotes – often of an interdisciplinary and international nature – fostering citizens’ active participation and supporting a solid educational system in the craft sector. Faenza has also demonstrated extraordinary resilience, overcoming the devastation caused by the natural disasters of recent years and moving towards the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with particular emphasis on reducing land consumption and revitalising urban spaces.
La Spezia’s candidacy has been equally appreciated, by virtue of the many cultural and design initiatives in the design sector, which have led the city to be recognised as an international hub of innovation and research. The city has also developed strong international collaborations and an effective education system, with a strong commitment to innovation and cross-fertilisation between creative sectors. The recognition of La Spezia as Creative City would be a further step towards the enhancement of nautical design and the blue economy, areas in which La Spezia is establishing itself as a centre of excellence, and towards the sustainable development of the city.
The candidacies of Faenza and La Spezia, matched by letters of support from the Italian National UNESCO Commission, will be sent to Paris for the final evaluation, which will be carried out by the Director General of UNESCO, following an assessment process carried out by independent international experts appointed by the Organisation and by the Cities already present in the Network.
