Monreale named Italian Book Capital 2027

The Sicilian city of Monreale has been proclaimed the Italian Book Capital for 2027. The announcement was made by Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli following a selection process involving 31 candidacies from 92 municipalities. Monreale was chosen unanimously by a jury led by Adriano Monti Buzzetti.

The winning project, titled ‘Monreale legge il mondo’ (Monreale reads the world), will receive a 500,000 euro contribution from the Ministry. The program draws inspiration from the city’s history and its Cathedral, bridging Norman, Arab, and Byzantine cultures. Key initiatives include 50 georeferenced ceramic supports with augmented reality content, a multilingual library portal, the ‘Leggo il Duomo’ app, digital storytelling workshops for youth, and creative residencies.