Italy’s design industry has recently received a prestigious and important international honor. On October 31, 2025, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, officially proclaimed La Spezia a UNESCO Creative City for Design.
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network was established in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities that recognize creativity as a strategic element for sustainable urban development.
Announcing the new designations, Azoulay stated: “UNESCO Creative Cities show that culture and creative industries can be concrete drivers of development. By welcoming 58 new cities, we are strengthening a network where creativity supports local initiatives, attracts investment, and fosters social cohesion.”
The designation is permanent and recognizes the city’s excellence in the field of nautical design - celebrating La Spezia’s creativity and production in yacht and superyacht design.
La Spezia (Liguria) is now confirmed as a world capital of the maritime industry, home to the design and production hubs of leading yacht and superyacht brands, as well as a global reference point for innovation, sustainability, and maritime culture.
The city - known as the capital of the Gulf of Poets - joins 49 other global cities recognized by UNESCO for design, including Dubai, Shanghai, Berlin, Montréal, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, and Valencia.
Mayor Pierluigi Peracchini expressed his pride: “This extraordinary recognition celebrates the history, vision, and talent of our community. We worked tirelessly on this project, and today our efforts have been rewarded. For La Spezia, design is not just a vocation - it’s a language that tells the story of our culture and our ability to blend tradition with innovation. From the craftsmanship of shipwrights to the activities of the Naval Arsenal, from furniture manufacturing to interior and advanced nautical design, our city has transformed know-how into excellence, contributing decisively to the global prestige of Made in Italy. This recognition marks both a historic milestone and a new beginning: it strengthens Italy’s position on the international design scene and confirms La Spezia as a true laboratory of creativity and sustainability. We are national leaders in the blue economy, and we will continue to invest in this sector. The UNESCO Creative City brand for design fills us with pride - it’s a collective heritage that belongs to all the people of La Spezia.”
City Councilor for Heritage Manuela Gagliardi also expressed great satisfaction: “This important recognition places our city among more than 400 UNESCO cities worldwide. It’s a showcase that will allow us to highlight our culture and our excellence in design - always a cornerstone of our community. We believed in this project from the very beginning, back in 2022, confident that we had everything it takes to be selected. Together with key supporters, we built a proposal that captured the unique elements of La Spezia’s design culture - elements the UNESCO commission truly recognized. We are thrilled and proud of this achievement and of the international visibility our city is now gaining.”
According to Mario Gerini, President of Confindustria La Spezia, this highly coveted recognition “rewards our identity as a capital of innovation and creativity applied to industry and confirms the quality of our production ecosystem.”
A decisive role in La Spezia’s successful bid was played by the Miglio Blu (“Blue Mile”) - a short stretch of coastline, just over one nautical mile long, between Molo Pagliari and Muggiano, where some of the world’s most renowned nautical companies are located.
In this area, luxury yacht and megayacht builders such as Sanlorenzo Yacht, Riva, Ferretti Group, Baglietto, Fincantieri, Perini Navi, Cantieri Navali La Spezia, and Navale Michelini operate - making it one of the world’s most concentrated centers of nautical excellence.
La Spezia also hosts the National Hub for Underwater Technologies, which attracts designers and professionals from across the globe, fostering continuous scientific, cultural, and creative exchange.
A network of research centers, university campuses, and corporate R&D departments make the city an extraordinary international laboratory for the Blue Economy, with a strong specialization in sustainable nautical design.
Culturally, La Spezia is a vibrant city filled with theaters, museums, and creative spaces, as well as an educational hub of excellence: it is the only city in Europe offering a complete academic path in nautical design - from high school diploma to master’s degree.
The city’s application dossier placed particular emphasis on sustainability, with several initiatives addressing social inclusion. Among the proposed projects, special attention was given to inclusion through the active involvement of local non-profit organizations and social associations.
One of the most forward-looking projects aims to attract young talent by inviting high school students from other UNESCO Creative Cities to visit La Spezia and discover its university course in nautical design.
The hope is that this recognition will not only mark a crowning achievement but also serve as a powerful starting point for La Spezia’s continued growth and for the global strengthening of Italian design - both nautical and beyond.
That vision is shared by Federico Giorgilli of La Spezia, who coordinated the preparation of the UNESCO dossier in collaboration with city offices: “This title will allow us to broaden our horizons and open new paths of collaboration, generating positive outcomes for young people, students, businesses, workers, and local associations alike.”
