Pordenonelegge: every euro invested generates 18 euros for the local area

It will be an important year for the Pordenonelegge.it Foundation, as it looks ahead to Pordenone’s designation as Italian Capital of Culture 2027: “A year we wish to mark with a varied programme of events,” explains the chairman, Michelangelo Agrusti.

The 2027 programme will weave a common thread linked to literature throughout the year with a brand-new initiative, the ‘Freschi di Stampa’ programme, the new annual showcase, held monthly, which will present the public with a newly published book by a leading author, offering the city an ongoing preview and constant opportunities for discussion on themes and stories. And to mark World Poetry Day, on Sunday 21 March 2027, Pordenone will host a live marathon of exactly 24 hours of uninterrupted verse. Sunday 21 March will also see the opening day of the spectacular “Monumento al libro”, a five-metre-high installation, conceived and designed as a tribute to the literary and crime-fiction spirit of the festival and its city: a tangible ‘symbol’ that the Pordenonelegge Foundation has chosen to encapsulate, at a glance, the vocation of ‘Pordenone, City of Books’.

The programme of events complements the projects which, throughout 2027, will highlight the festival’s international dimension, following on from the success of its official visit to Prague. The 28th edition of ‘pordenonelegge – Festival of Books and Freedom’, scheduled for 15 to 19 September 2027, will mark the start of an ongoing initiative in which a different European capital will be the guest of honour each year. The city of Prague will be the first to inaugurate this format, bringing to Pordenone its books, its authors, and also the national and international voices that have chronicled its literary legacy. The tribute to the Czech capital will be crowned by a major live concert and the posthumous awarding of the prestigious ‘Ambassador of Freedom 2027’ prize to Václav Havel.

The events will kick off on Friday 19 February 2027, highlighting the link between the economy and creativity: the Pordenonelegge Foundation will be taking part in the General Assembly of Confindustria Alto Adriatico on the theme ‘Industry is Culture’. At the same time, this connection with the business world will take the form of a cultural welfare initiative through the project to establish Corporate Libraries, carried out in partnership with Confindustria Alto Adriatico and Librerie Coop, which, from January 2027, will present a map of the companies where a library centre will be established to promote reading amongst employees and their families.

The ‘Pordenonelegge’ effect: the figures presented at Eureka, the cultural and creative industries fair currently taking place at Pordenone Fiere, indicate that the festival had an overall economic impact of 33.79 million euros and contributed 15.39 million to the regional GDP of Friuli Venezia Giulia.