Asunción, São Luís, Figueres, Linz and Vilnius are the cultural capitals of 2009

The International Bureau of Cultural Capitals (www.ibocc.org) has informed that the cultural capitals of the next year will be as follows:

In the case of the American Capital of Culture (www.cac-acc.org), Asunción (Paraguay) will be the cultural reference for the countries of the American continent during 2009. Till now, the following cities have been designated as American Capital of Culture: Mérida 2000 (México); Iquique 2001 (Chile); Maceió 2002 (Brazil); Panamá City (Panamá) and Curitiba (Brazil) 2003; Santiago 2004 (Chile); Guadalajara 2005 (México); Córdoba 2006 (Argentina); Cusco 2007 (Peru); Brasilia 2008 (Brazil), and Asunción 2009 (Paraguay).

Regarding the national cultural capital of Brazil, the world’s fifth most populated country, the Brazilian Capital of Culture (www.capitalbrasileiradacultura.org) will be São Luís (Maranhão). This city will be the fourth Brazilian capital of culture following Olinda 2006 (Pernambuco); São João do-Rei 2007 (Minas Gerais), and Caxias do Sul 2008 (Rio Grande do Sul).

In the case of the Capital of the Catalan Culture (www.ccc.cat), Figueres will be the cultural reference for the whole of the Catalan linguistic and cultural area, which includes four states of Europe (Spain, France, Andorra and Italy). Till now, the following have been elected as Capitals of the Catalan Culture: Banyoles 2004, Esparreguera 2005, Amposta 2006, Lleida 2007, Perpinyà 2008, Figueres 2009, Badalona 2010 and Escaldes-Engordany 2011.

During 2009, the first cultural capital of the United States of America (www.culturalcapital.us) will be elected. The US Capital of Culture is also an initiative by the International Bureau of Cultural Capitals, having its headquarter in Barcelona.

Finally, the European Capital of Culture 2009 will be the cities of Linz (Austria) and Vilnius (Lithuania), relieving Liverpool (United Kingdom) and Stavanger (Norway), as cultural references of the European continent.

The President of the International Bureau of Cultural Capitals, Xavier Tudela, has stated that “the concept of Capital of Culture, which was proposed by the Greek Minister of Culture and famous actress, Melina Mercouri, for Europe in 1985, has extended itself to other continents, countries or specific cultural spheres because the proposal is very positive for the social inclusion, the civic cohesion and the external renown of the cultural capital cities”.

On the other hand, Athens (Greece), which was the first Cultural Capital of the history, has recently created the Documentation Centre on Capitals of Culture in order to recollect information on the different capitals of culture existing in the world.