Valle Camonica bids for Italian Capital of Culture 2029

Valle Camonica has officially launched its candidacy to become the Italian Capital of Culture for 2029. Under the theme ‘10,000 years of future’, the project aims to unite 40 municipalities into a single, distributed cultural capital rather than focusing on a single city.

The year 2029 holds significant symbolic weight as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Valle Camonica rock art being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the first Italian site to receive such recognition. The proposal, presented in Milan, seeks to leverage this heritage—which includes over 140,000 rock engravings—alongside Roman remains, castles, churches, and contemporary art to drive research, planning, and economic development.

Promoted by the Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica, the UNESCO site coordination group, and the Fondazione Valle dei Segni, the initiative intends to integrate museums, archaeological parks, and local villages into a cohesive narrative that connects ancient history with future cultural and tourism strategies.