Shortlist unveiled for Capitale Italiana della Cultura 2025.

Italy's culture ministry has announced the 10 finalists for the 2025 edition of the Italian Capital of Culture.

The shortlisted towns and cities vying for the title must present their bids to a jury appointed by the culture ministry in Rome on 20-21 March.

The jury will then be tasked with recommending the most suitable candidate for the prestigious recognition to Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.

Here are the 10 finalists in the running for the coveted title of Capitale Italiana della Cultura 2025:

Agrigento, Aosta, Assisi, Astia, Bagnoregio, Monte S. Angelo (Foggia), Orvieto, Pescina (L'Aquila), Roccasecca (Frosinone) and Spoleto (Perugia).

#Capitaleitalianadellacultura 2025, individuate le 10 finaliste: Agrigento, Aosta, Assisi (Perugia), Asti, Bagnoregio (Viterbo), Monte Sant’Angelo (Foggia), Orvieto (Terni), Pescina (L’Aquila), Roccasecca (Frosinone) e Spoleto (Perugia).
https://t.co/wp6i9Au5RO pic.twitter.com/HXabsBgLX3

— Ministero della Cultura (@MiC_Italia) January 25, 2023

The northern Italian cities of Bergamo and Brescia recently took up their joint status as this year's Capital of Culture after Procida, the small island in the Gulf of Naples, concluded its term as the 2022 title holder.

Italy's previous culture capitals include Cagliari, Lecce, Perugia, Ravenna and Siena in 2015, Mantua in 2016, Pistoia in 2017 and Palermo in 2018.

The Italian title skipped a year in 2019 when Matera, in the southern Basilicata region, became the European Capital of Culture.

In 2020 it was the turn of Parma to receive Italy's culture capital status, with the northern Italian city retaining the title for a second year to make up for the negative effects of the covid lockdowns.

Pesaro, on the Adriatic coast, will be Italy's Capital of Culture 2024. Cover image Civita di Bagnoregio.