- Town and city halls across the region will be decorated in the colours of the European Capital of Culture bid, creating a “large visual mosaic”
The region of Extremadura celebrates Cultural Capital Day on 4 September, an initiative aimed at demonstrating the region-wide support for Cáceres’ bid to become European Capital of Culture.
The Mayor of Cáceres and President of the Cáceres 2031 Consortium, Rafa Mateos, has sent a letter this week to the mayors of Extremadura’s 388 municipalities, inviting them to join this celebration with both a regional and Europeandimension by illuminating the façades of their town and city halls, or other landmark buildings, in the colours of the Cáceres bid – pink and blue.
He has also suggested that “it would be a wonderful gesture” for municipalities to display a banner or flag in support of Cáceres 2031 in a symbolic location, or to carry out any other gesture they consider appropriate to show their support.
“With all these actions, we will demonstrate to Europe the unwavering support behind a project that will benefit the whole of Extremadura: making Cáceres European Capital of Culture in 2031,” Mateos stressed. He also expressed hisgratitude for “the affection and support the Cáceres bid has received from every corner of Extremadura, with sincere and continuous backing ever since we announced this collective challenge, and even more so since we became a finalist.”
Mateos also highlighted that “culture is a truly transformative force that enriches us as a society and brings vitality to our towns and villages. Cáceres 2031 therefore represents a shared opportunity to showcase Extremadura’s cultural potential to Europe and strengthen the connections between its different territories,” he concluded.
Regional support
The celebration forms part of the region-wide alliance built around Cáceres 2031, which has been further strengthened by the support of the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces of Extremadura (FEMPEX), representing all 388 municipalities in Extremadura. This unanimous backing confirms the collective nature of a bid that embraces both the region’s main cities and its smaller and less populated municipalities.
The aim is to convey an image of unity to Europe and demonstrate that Cáceres 2031 is not simply a city project, but a bid with a regional dimension, built upon the cultural, territorial and social diversity of Extremadura as a whole.
Cultural Capital Day will therefore take the form of a shared gesture extending across Extremadura, connecting towns and cities in both provinces around a common aspiration: to demonstrate that culture can be a tool for territorial cohesion, social transformation and development throughout the region.
Cáceres, a finalist in the process to select the European Capital of Culture 2031, continues to develop its bid under the concept of Transcultura, a territory-based proposal that understands culture as a space for encounter, exchange and transformation. Heritage, contemporary creation, traditions, festivals, cultural landscapes and the relationship with Portugal form an ecosystem that reaches beyond the boundaries of the city of Cáceres and extends throughout the entireregion.
Cáceres 2031 is also encouraging participating municipalities to share images of their flags, banners and illuminated façades through their institutional channels and social media platforms. Sharing these images collectively will help create a large visual mosaic of Extremadura and amplify the reach of the celebration.
