NATIONAL COMMITTEE NEAPOLIS 2500: MISSION, INITIATIVES, AND PROJECTS BEYOND 2025
The Vice President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, announced at a press conference held at the Prefecture of Naples that the National Committee Neapolis 2500 will continue its mandate in 2026, identifying new initiatives capable of generating value for the city and for Italy on the global stage.
“The 2,500-year celebrations aim to further strengthen Naples’ international dimension and to confirm its role as an extraordinary instrument for representing Italy in the world. The spirit of this initiative is to put Naples at the center, marking the beginning of a ‘new season’ in which the city can play an increasingly important role. Accordingly, I have decided that the 2026 edition of the MED Dialogues on the Mediterranean will be held in Naples, and I have asked the Committee to continue working in the coming months on initiatives that highlight the city’s role in the national interest,” Minister Tajani stated.
“I express my deepest appreciation for Minister Tajani’s words,” commented Michele di Bari, Prefect of Naples and President of the National Committee Neapolis 2500. “They provide an important injection of confidence and an additional stimulus for the Committee to continue creating opportunities for Naples to fully express its potential to the world.”
Formed to mark the 2,500th anniversary of Naples’ founding, the National Committee Neapolis 2500 launched an ambitious, high-profile international program in less than nine months.
Through a strategic and coordinated effort with MAECI and MIC, the Committee has promoted Naples as a Mediterranean hub and a driver of diplomacy, culture, business, and internationalization. This mission goes beyond the stereotypical portrayals often associated with the city, restoring Naples to its rightful role.
The program includes international conferences, diplomatic missions, visits to research centers and the most innovative local companies, as well as concerts, exhibitions, and artistic performances. Many of these initiatives travel abroad, hosted by Italian Cultural Institutes, embassies, and theaters worldwide.
The program has been named “Napoli Musa” to reaffirm Naples’ historical and cultural identity, along with its ability to positively influence through culture, creativity, art, and craftsmanship. Naples is no longer merely a city to interpret—it is a city that inspires, placed at the center of a global network of relationships, exchanges, and collaborations.
The concept of Napoli Musa has translated into initiatives that, in 2025 alone, brought thousands of high-level participants to the city: UNESCO representatives, international institutions, embassy science attachés, NATO senior officials, ministers and government representatives from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, and global media and broadcaster executives. These initiatives were complemented by music events, photography exhibitions, and displays celebrating Naples’ historical figures.
The program will continue through the end of 2025 and into early 2026, with events and exhibitions in Naples and internationally, many of which are free and open to the public, including:
Totò e la sua Napoli (31 October 2025 – 25 January 2026): An exhibition at the Royal Palace exploring the inseparable bond between Antonio de Curtis, known as Totò, and his city.
Oculus Spei (11 November 2025 – 11 February 2026): A multimedia installation at the Chapel of San Gennaro offering an imaginary journey through five Holy Doors, under the patronage of the Jubilee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice.
Naples and Baku: United in Traditions (Nov./Dec. 2025): A photographic exhibition highlighting Naples and its 1972 twinning with Baku, exploring the cultural heritage of both cities.
Arte dal Vulcano (Dec. 2025 – Jan. 2026): Contemporary Neapolitan and Campanian artists from the postwar period to today contributing to Italy’s artistic identity.
Theatrical Figurines in Naples (Nov./Dec. 2025): A unique exhibition featuring over 1,280 theatrical costumes from the collection of Carlo Guillaume, impresario of the Royal Theaters of Naples.
Crociani Projects (Nov./Dec. 2025): Three initiatives focused on Benedetto Croce: a digital atlas of his sites, a cycle of lecture-performances, and the screening of Pupi Avati’s film Un Natale a casa Croce.
Napoli Musa Live in London (15 Dec. 2025): Following its success in Piazza del Plebiscito, the concert will bring Neapolitan music to London in a major tribute.
Naples Beyond Naples (21 Dec. 2025): An editorial project compiling twenty essays by local and international authors reflecting on Naples’ historical and cultural influence and its future role in the European Union.
Binario Zero (Jan. 2026): An event celebrating Naples’ link to railway progress, commemorating Italy’s first railway line as a symbol of innovation and transformation.
The Committee’s work does not stop here.
The 2,500th anniversary represents an opportunity to reflect on the city’s identity and future. While Naples is rediscovering itself, further strategic investments are necessary to generate development and employment. Celebrations, while significant, are not enough on their own.
In this perspective, several initiatives launched in 2025 lay the foundation for the 2026 activation of structured projects capable of generating permanent platforms in business, culture, and innovation, contributing concretely to building a sustainable future for Naples.