The historic Sicilian municipality of Monreale in the province of Palermo has earned the distinguished title of Italian Capital of Book for 2027. Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli announced the unanimous decision during a ceremony streamed from Sala Spadolini at Collegio Romano in Rome. Alongside this recognition, the city secures an allocation of roughly 500,000 euros to implement an ambitious calendar of cultural programming.
Supervised by the General Directorate for Cultural Activities with the Centre for Book and Reading, this national competition promotes lifelong literacy, independent publishing, and community engagement. Monreale stood out among 31 initial candidate municipalities and emerged triumphant over 6 other prominent finalists – Chiaromonte, Iglesias, Nuoro, Pomigliano d'Arco, Teramo, and Treviso.
Central to the victory is the dossier titled Monreale Reads the World. Evaluators praised the town for uniting traditional heritage with broad international perspectives, fostering multilingual enrichment, and launching writer residencies that turn visitors into engaged traveling readers. Community reading agreements will help extend educational outreach, boosting active local participation beyond the 2027 calendar year.
During the ceremony, Alessandro Giuli highlighted literature as an essential instrument of human connection, bridging generations across both print and digital formats. With over 20,000 residents ready to celebrate their historical legacy, this milestone promises to expand public access to library resources, generate local economic value, and enhance cultural literacy for 100% of the community. Monreale stands ready to welcome literary enthusiasts from across the globe into a dynamic cultural journey.
