2026 is a special year for Italy, which will find itself exposed to both its own history and the gaze of the outside world. This is because of the somehow unusual convergence, within the same twelve months of several long-planned milestones, each asking a different version of the same question: what kind of country is Italy today, and what story is it choosing to tell about itself?
A rapid glance at the calendar is sufficient to see how rich in events the next twelve months are going to be: on June 2, Italy will mark eighty years since the 1946 referendum that ended the monarchy and gave birth to the Republic; earlier in the year, the country will host the Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, followed shortly after by the Paralympic Games; one of Italy’s more recognizable symbols of resilience and strength, L’Aquila, will serve throughout the year as Italian Capital of Culture.
