Route, first programme Córdoba 2016 by Informatico Fundacion Córdoba Ciudad Cultural

_ The route __ Appendix II _to the C贸rdoba 2016 cultural programme

The route Appendix II to the C贸rdoba 2016 cultural programme

ITHACA

When you start on your journey to Ithaca, then pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge. Do not fear the Lestrygonians and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon. You will never meet such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your body and your spirit. You will never meet the Lestrygonians, the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon, if you do not carry them within your soul, if your soul does not raise them up before you. Then pray that the road is long. That the summer mornings are many, that you will enter ports seen for the first time with such pleasure, with such joy! Stop at Phoenician markets, and purchase fine merchandise, mother-of-pearl and corals, amber and ebony, and pleasurable perfumes of all kinds, buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can; visit hosts of Egyptian cities, to learn and learn from those who have knowledge. Always keep Ithaca fixed in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for long years; and even to anchor at the isle when you are old, rich with all that you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches. Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would never have taken the road. But she has nothing more to give you. And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not defrauded you. With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience, you must surely have understood by then what Ithacas mean.

C.P. Cavafy - Trans. Rae Dalven

Background, 1992 p. 8

Stages of Preparation p. 10

2.1 A plan, a target p. 12 2.2 Other groups become involved p. 13 2.3 Starting up p. 14 2.4 Cruising speed p. 15

Creating the project: analysis, studies, programmes. 2004-2010 p. 16

3.1 Educational Programmes p. 18 3.2 White Paper, 2007 p. 19 3.3 Córdoba, Europe. p. 20 3.4 Dissemination p. 24 3.5 Public Opinion p. 28

In Madrid p. 30

5 Research trips and presentation

of the Córdoba bid, 2004-2010 p. 32 6

Enjoying the journey p. 38

The Voyage p. 40

It has been said more than once that Córdoba is the ‘mother and daughter’ of cultures. This apparently simple, yet eminently truthful, saying captures a good deal of the city’s symbolic meaning. It ‘feminises’ its essence, while making a connection with ‘culture’, ‘wisdom’, ‘coexistence’ and ‘tolerance’, concepts that give it much in common with the building of Europe. At the same time, it credits the city with continuity over time: Córdoba as a mother of daughters who in turn will become mothers themselves, passing down their wisdom in an unbroken chain.

This is what the city has done for more than two thousand years; now, at the dawn of the third millennium, Córdoba keeps its flame alive and continues to serve as an inspiration for an era which seeks understanding between civilisations and fellowship among men, enabling us to move forward into the twenty-first century with a deeper knowledge and respect for diversity. One need only recall Barack Obama’s reference to Córdoba as an example of peaceful coexistence in his momentous address to the Islamic world, delivered at Cairo University, to realise that Córdoba’s very name is charged with symbolism. The ‘Córdoba paradigm’, a concept coined by the Iranian philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo, also serves to show that the experience of al-Ándalus acquired in this city is vital for the world today: vital for the way it represents advanced civilisation in

the arts, in science and in humanism; vital as a repository of the classical Greek legacy, as a driving force in extending this knowledge towards the West; and vital for the tolerance and religious pluralism that characterised the culture of al-Ándalus. Now, at this point in our history, the experience and meaning of Córdoba are not only indispensable; they also have a unique opportunity to shine.

...pray that the road is long,... 1 Background, 1992

In the mid-1980s, the city already glimpsed the possibility of becoming European Capital of Culture in 1992, a designation finally won by Madrid. Córdoba’s social and political commitment in that respect has not ceased to grow since then. When, in 2002, Córdoba announced its intention of submitting a bid for the 2016 European Capital of Culture, it was reviving a longstanding, cherished aspiration conceived in the late 1980s, when it first bid to become the 1992 European Capital of Culture, a title finally claimed by Madrid. The period between 1983 and 1987 saw the initial political and social steps taken in this direction. The various stages that then followed were directed towards a new definition of cultural tourism for the city and the definitive acknowledgement of the value of its historic and artistic heritage. It amounted to abandoning a certain sense of complacency, founded on an undeniable legacy, and opening out – this time wholeheartedly – to Europe and the world, with the development of various programmes that culminated in being recognised as a World Heritage City by UNESCO.

Córdoba – its people, its representatives, its institutions – is ready to embark on the journey, aware that its hold is well-stocked with provisions, but also that it has left enough space to take on board fellow-travellers and At that point, a new and fruitful their experiences. process of joint work by institutions The sails are unfurand citizens began; since then, it has led and starting to constantly developed and grown. fill with the winds of knowledge. This is the story of an exciting tutional and public coordination, voyage of discovery, setting off on which if anything has become a well-marked route. wider and deeper right up to the present day. At the very beginning, a Special Commission for Capital Status was set up (in which all the city’s institutions and social forces took part, from the municipal authorities to the university, the trades unions’ and employers’ associations, the Royal Academy and the neighbourhood associations). The Commisison issued a manifesto that brought together – and has continued to bring together – thousands of supporters of all types (associations, businesses, voluntary organisations and so on) as well as ideas, proposals, debates and projects. It was then that Córdoba made adjustments, ensuring that its ‘clock of history’ once again showed the correct time. The city then embarked upon a new and fruitful process of insti-

...That the summer mornings are many... 2 10

Stages of Preparation

Over time, the bid has gradually taken shape and grown. The Second Strategic Plan for Córdoba sets out the broad guidelines to be followed, while consensus among citizens at all levels is gradually starting to bear real fruit. All self-respecting adventures involve an element of groundwork: sketching out strategy, planning the route, gathering supplies and anticipating the stages the journey will pass through on its way to its destination. Córdoba’s ECoC bid came into the world in the same way, like a dream that required planning. And as with all of humanity’s great enterprises, this dream was based on an idea: that the city should once again reach out to Europe and the world, in the third millennium, just as it did in times gone by, as a historical benchmark and as a model for the future that now beckons. This idea, shared by the people and institutions of the city, became a fixed and clear part of the city’s political, social and cultural horizon as it embarked upon the twentyfirst century.

Henceforth, the path was to be travelled step by step, gathering en route commitment and consensus for a collective and participatory citizens’ project that would combine enthusiasm, rigour, emotion and shared effort. From Córdoba’s Second Strategic Plan to the well-oiled machinery of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, Córdoba’s 2016 bid has already provided the city with a series of invaluable benefits.

2.1 A plan, a target 2.2 Other groups become involved The Second Strategic Plan, Córdoba in the Third Millennium, conceived as an integrated plan for the city’s economic, social and cultural progress, was completed in 2001 after a productive process of civic consensus and participation, identifying ten lines of strategic action and a total of 29 concrete initiatives to be implemented in the period 2002-2010. One of the lines of action in the Córdoba, heritage, cultural and tourist city strategy was Planning the strategy for the 2016 Cultural Capital, which came about as the result of input from the citizens’ groups involved in drawing up the Plan. It was based on the following principles: ·C ulture as an engine and catalyst for the city of Córdoba and its development. ·C ulture as an element of creation and consolidation of the city’s collective identity. ·C ulture as a factor contributing to quality of life.

·H eritage as a resource for the city’s identity and wealth. ·T ourism as a driver of sustainable growth, and a means of fostering local heritage and identity. Within the framework of a participatory process aimed at regenerating the city, Córdoba formulated its bid to become 2016 European Capital of Culture, a project that the Second Strategic Plan views from two perspectives: The attainment of cultural capital status as a target in its own right; and turning this objective into a catalyst to produce and unleash a profound process of socio-cultural development in the city, one that will generate new tourist attrac-

tions and employment, instilling in local people a sense of self-belief and confidence in their own prospects and efforts. In this respect, the Córdoba 2016 project is seen as a means of developing and unifying strategies and projects designed to give concrete form to a deep commitment to the city, and to affirm its nature as a cultural city and its vocation as a city of encounters and coexistence. In this sense, the means are as important for the city as the end itself.

The Council gives its verdict In keeping with this aspiration, Córdoba City Council, meeting on 5 July 2001, approved a joint proposal from the three political parties, IU-LV-CA, PSOE and PP, regarding Córdoba candidature as 2016 European Capital of Culture, which agreed to the creation of a Special Commission for the Study and Development of Proposals aimed at the designation of Córdoba as 2016 European Capital of Culture.

Memorandum of agreement Reference: Plenary /Session: Ordinary Date: 05/07/2001 Don Antonio Bejarano Leira, General Secretary of Córdoba city Council certifies: That the Plenary Council in ordinary session, held on the fifth day of July two thousand and one, adopted among other agreements the following: N.º 193/01.- Joint proposals .- 5. group of the three parties represented on the council, IU-LV-CA, PSOE and PP, regarding European Cultural Capital Status for the city of Córdoba in 2016.Considering the Proposal in question,

whose literal wording is as follows: “ Córdoba, ancient city and World Heritage City since 1994, which throughout its history has been a symbol of coexistence, tolerance and cultural diversity, wishes to contribute to Europe its universal meaning, its historical and monumental heritage and its permanent support for coexistence, tolerance and respect among cultures, beliefs and ideas.- (...) The aim of the “European Capital of Culture” joint initiative is to emphasise the richness, diversity and common characteristics of the various European cultures, as well as contribute to a better understanding between citizens of the Union. The chosen

city has to organise a programme of cultural events that throw into relief the culture and heritage of the city itself and likewise the place it occupies in the shared cultural heritage. When elaborating its programme, the chosen city must take into account the following criteria for planning and evaluation: - The promotion of shared cultural currents in whose formation the city has played an important role.- The implementation of artistic creations and performances (music, dance, sculpture, cinema etc.) and improvement in the promotion and management of cultural activities.- The dissemination of the merits of

the people and events that have marked the city’s history and culture among the citizens of the Union.- The implementation of specific activities to encourage artistic innovation and generate new forms of cultural action and dialogue.- The implementation of initiatives in matters related to access and raising awareness of mobile and fixed heritage and the cultural creations specific to the city.- The implementation of specific cultural projects encouraging young people to access culture.- The implementation of specific cultural projects designed to reinforce social cohesion.-

On 24th June 2003, the Council set up a Commission to Pursue 2016 Cultural Capital Status, to implement the project which, in turn, was to be developed on the following three pillars: infrastructure, organisation and endorsements. A wide spectrum of local society was reflected in the Commission, with representatives of the political parties in the Council, the central government through its sub-delegation in Córdoba, the Andalusian Regional Council Departments of Culture, Tourism and Public Works, Córdoba Provincial Council, the University of Córdoba, the Royal Academy of Córdoba, the AlZahara Federation of Neighbourhood Associations, the Córdoba Business Confederation and the trades unions UGT and CCOO.

- The dissemination of the programmed events especially through multimedia and audiovisual outlets, as well as through a multilingual approach.- The contribution to the development of economic activity, above all relating to tourism and the creation of employment.- The necessity for developing innovative and high-quality cultural tourism, taking into consideration the importance in this context of permanent management of cultural heritage and the desirability of reconciling the aspirations of visitors and local people.- The organisation of projects designed to develop links between architectural heritage and the strategies of new planning developments.- The implementation of joint initiatives aimed at encouraging dialogue between European cultures and the cultures of other parts of the world.In view of the aims and criteria mentioned, it is clear that Córdoba can muster some powerful arguments in favour of its

bid to be European Capital of Culture. On the basis of its history, its tradition as a multicultural city, its universal vocation and its desire for modernity, Córdoba can confidently and reliably play its part as European Capital of Culture.Moreover we must envisage the project we are initiating as an impulse that will serve as an engine to unleash and unify shared forces and strategies to improve the cultural position of Córdoba in the European and global context, and implement a profound improvement in the cultural and urban infrastructure and personnel of the city, in such a way that the means used to secure the end are as important as the end in itself.We hope that this initiative comes into being with the highest level of support and endorsement, and to that end it is necessary to put on record that it has been developed with the cooperation of CECO (Córdoba Business Confederation), an organisation that has displayed a special interest in the project.-

Therefore it is proposed that the Council Plenary Session adopt the following AGREEMENTS: 1: To create a Special Commission to study and develop the proposals with the objective of securing 2016 European Capital of Culture status for the city of Córdoba.2: This Commission shall be regulated as follows: 2.1 Functions and activities of the Commission: To draw up a document containing the infrastructure and capacities the city already possesses, relating as much to its history and tradition as to its present-day reality.To list the projects currently in development that will become reality in the near future.To define in general outlines the fundamental activities to be organised in 2016, which may be based on Córdoba’s role as a city of encounter between the different cultures and peoples of the world, with

special emphasis on European, Arabic and Hispanic cultures.To nominate the projects to be developed in the preceding years, projects that should entail major infrastructure commitments and the conditions required to guarantee the resounding success of this initiative.To enlist the support and endorsement of important institutions and individuals, both within and beyond the city.To enlist the support and collaboration of other cities, especially those that are members of networks of which Córdoba is also a member. 2.2 Composition of the Commission. The Commission shall be chaired by the Worshipful Lady Mayor or representative delegated by her and shall comprise: A representative of each of the political parties.A representative of the University of Córdoba.A representative of the Provincial Council.A representative of the Sub-delegation of

2.4 Cruising speed

2.3 Starting up

It was also in 2003 that Córdoba Council set up the Municipal Office for 2016 Cultural Capital Status, attached to the Mayor’s Office. This organisation started to arrange, among other things, international advisory seminars and conferences to disseminate the project, devoting special attention to children and young people, and to take charge of the coordination of the endorsement programme.

the Government in Córdoba.A representative of CECO.A representative of CCOO (trade union).A representative of UGT (trade union).A representative of the AL-ZAHARA Federation of Neighbourhood Associations.A representative of the Andalusia Regional Council Department of Culture.A representative of the Andalusia Regional Council Department of Tourism.A representative of the Andalusia Regional Council Department of Public Works. A representative of the Royal Academy of Córdoba. 2.3 The Commission will be able to enlist as much technical support as it requires, as well as the collaboration of experts, entities or groups that facilitate the work with which it has been charged”.The Plenary Session of the Corporation, unanimously gives its approval to the same, adopting the agreements contained herein.-

It also assumed responsibility for the White Paper on Cultural Capital Status, as well as arranging various studies and analyses of the process, its international dimension and its acceptance by local society, establishing permanent contacts with the other administrative bodies and institutions in the city. Meanwhile, beyond the internal tasks of managing the project’s mechanisms, the Office started to

And for the record, that it may be enforceable, the present certificate is issued with the approval of the Worshipful Lady Mayor. Signed in Córdoba, this fourteenth day of April, two thousand and four. Approved The Mayor

gather proposals and design cultural activities that already included ‘Córdoba 2016’ in their branding; among these, Cosmopoética, Poets of the World in Córdoba, which became one of the bid’s flagship projects.

All rally round On 13th December 2002, the Mayor’s Office presented the Córdoba Manifesto, ratified by all the city’s institutional and social representatives, and expressing a determined resolve to work towards the goal of making the city the European Capital of Culture. The Córdoba Manifesto:

The third millennium holds many uncertainties for Mankind, but it also holds many opportunities. Before we have even managed to address the challenges of the past, we are faced with new problems and concerns linked to the complex and controversial phenomenon of globalisation. Yet never before have men and women contemplated a broader horizon than at the start of the twenty-first century; never before have we had so many resources and opportunities to build our future and to fulfil the promise of happiness vouchsafed by poets. Culture and the City are two decisive factors in attaining this goal. Shorn of

its exclusive and reductionist trappings, the idea of culture has expanded to cover something more than literary, artistic or intellectual output; something more than systems of values and beliefs; something more than lifestyles. Today, when we talk about culture we are referring to a vast and varied field of endeavour, in which new information and communication technologies play a vital role. Reflecting the constant tension between tradition and innovation, between the individual and the social, the local and the global, culture today is a creative arena for a vast and varied range of attitudes, values, and

The Córdoba Cultural City Foundation (CCCF) was created on 7 June 2006, using a formula which guaranteed that all the institutions would join forces behind the common goal of becoming 2016 European Capital of Culture. Its founding members were Córdoba City Council, Córdoba Provincial Council, the University of Córdoba and the Andalusian Regional Council. Its fundamental goal was to develop, initiate and disseminate local creativity and all types of cultural activity in the city and its surrounding area. It was also to be the organisation responsible for coordinating the drafting of the dossier for the Córdoba bid.

patterns of behaviour. Yet at the same time culture is an essential aspect of environmentally-friendly, sustainable development, of job creation, of gender equality and of social cohesion. The city, as a complex network of relationships and values, is a point at which past and future, tradition and change, memory and desire, all converge; a meeting place and living space in which identity and diversity have to be mutually recognised, as required by the democratic principles of citizenship. The city has always encouraged integration whilst respecting difference; it has fostered development and progress without renouncing its roots. Culture and the City, therefore, are the two notions that inevitably underpin any discussion in which the preservation of our historical heritage is closely linked to its growth and development. Culture serves to guarantee democratic pluralism; it is a strategic goal in the city’s

development and a key component in building a Europe for citizens. At the threshold of a new century, Córdoba faces a unique and inescapable challenge. The city that was once a Roman colony and later became the capital of the Ummayad Caliphate, the city where three cultures lived together, the city that gave its own legacy to Renaissance and Baroque Europe, the city declared a World Heritage site in recognition of its history, cannot hide from the challenges of the modern world, nor refuse to face up to the future. Aware of this need to reach out to the future, local institutions – backed by the City Council – have agreed to embark upon an ambitious plan aimed at standing Córdoba in good stead to be named European Capital of Culture in 2016. We have nine years in which to prepare and launch our bid, and we are delighted to have the unanimous

As time went by, and the Foundation started to submit initiatives and proposals, a host of organisations and companies came forward to join in as partners in the project. These included Fundación Bodegas Campos, Real Círculo de la Amistad de Córdoba, Diario Córdoba, El Día de Córdoba, Abc-Córdoba, Montealto, Comercial Piedra Trujillo and Formación e Innovación Rural Consultoría.

support of all Córdoba’s local groups and associations, as well as backing from other cities and leading personalities. The success of our bid will depend on devoting all our energy and creative skills to making this initiative a project for the future, a distinctive feature of Córdoba in the third millennium. This project will reflect and renew Córdoba’s unique contribution to the common history of Europe – peaceful coexistence and dialogue between cultures – and in doing so will help to enhance Andalusia’s role as a major forum for cultural encounters between Europe and the rest of the world. A project for the future, like this one, cannot be implemented without the involvement and commitment of all the people of Córdoba. We were all proud to hear Córdoba being declared a World Heritage site on 15 December 1994. That declaration confirmed the unquestionable

value of our city’s history and its long memory. Now, eight years later, we have a great opportunity to broaden those horizons, to commit ourselves firmly to the future, to start to fulfil Córdoba’s wish to be European Capital of Culture in 2016. Córdoba, 13 December 2002

...buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can; ... 3 16

Creating the project: analysis, studies, programmes. 2004-2010

Throughout this period, the C贸rdoba 2016 project has generated numerous initiatives to disseminate, analyse, reflect upon and provide information about the European Capital of Culture bid, its value, its meaning for the people of C贸rdoba and its international dimension. This was seen as the moment to get the children and young people of today involved, given that they will be major protagonists in 2016; also to invite the opinions of international experts in the management of projects such as this, to reflect on the role of cities in the new construction of Europe and from time to time to take stock of how the bid is becoming more and more visible amongst the people of the city.

3.1 Educational Programmes

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3.2 White Paper, 2007

Through the Córdoba Educating City Programme, the bid was included among the extracurricular activities of primary and secondary schools, and in the play activities run by Municipal Social Services in Summer Schools. Córdoba’s bid to become European Capital of Culture has thus become familiar to children and young people.

Over this five-year period, more than 6,000 children and young people have discovered and taken part in the development of the bid through printed and audiovisual materials that have helped make it more meaningful, something that will have an even deeper significance when they return as part of the audience. Alongside these efforts, Córdoba 2016 has created specific teaching material relating to the bid, also using audiovisual materials: a teaching guide for teachers and three different guides for pupils, adapting the message for each age group.

The teaching guides contain, together with the information needed to introduce pupils to the context of the European Capital of Culture concept, a wide range of activities based on sociocultural themes relating to the European Union and the city of Córdoba itself. This raises participants’ awareness of the city and its goal, whilst simultaneously disseminating European values. In 2009, all the educational material was overhauled and brought up to date in the light of the accumulated experience of preceding years.

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e ia y . c n e r o E9 re f e B l a n c par T e a N d 7 t o E o, br N es VIG égic del Li C IÓ a p r o p u t O a C r T U st ón de l TEX OD t o e b o ra c i r n N R o e l T O a va IN elem : La el YC o y es. o d S i m s t E Sen cedent 016 co s parte ENT u r a . D 2 7 a e E l t 0 lt A n oye c t o e n t re REC e l a C u P r o : 07 p s d El en PEO r o p e a ons O c 08 R u l E U lE O E Capita 08 . C AR ción ón i a M c n a g i EL est des 4 a anif al. l M a O1 T La o leg to par C YE 9 O arc Córdoba ien White PaperPon Published in 2007, theM2016 Capital of Culture Status adopted a threefold R m i d e 0 focussed discourse. First,1it “integrating” project, one that would embrace diversity UN Proc on the need RforA an . and dialogue among sociocultural Second, it sought a “defining” approach, 10 a whole rangeS ofPA icostrends. g . é t econtext E t a setting out to define specific A characteristics within e the of plurality, in which culture was V r n t es Third, esand most important, it addressed the need for an r CL the s seen as something that enriches whole. p o t l en co de enough to be translated into viable programmes and “operational” project, i.e. aEproject lem ósversatile ti n projects, characterised essential concepts already outlined. g 14by the a Di 18 S 5 os. O 1 IVbasis foruropeand T The White Paper thus became the strategic implementation, taking care not to forget the E J s e osbasic . elements e OB t the project. The text outlined a hierarchy governed n e ic uestas. needed to consolidate what has been s d á e b c by prevailing legislation at European, and done p and the planning of the next phase. Prenational proPost-2016, nttoosreflect s e regional levels, but at the same time sought e 8 l m 1 les. . sustainability and utilisation: rather than sib eramake Ele forpgenerao the real cultural situation, and the scope 2016 n s a finishing line, even if this helps put Córs 18 íficoon the map in terms of international culture, the Una tivos ge pedoba c ting a positive transformation. 1 The White Paper, which may be2 thought to occupy a place in a spotlight s es aim is for Córdoba Obofjeastiavkind o 27 e j 25 of ‘road map’, put forward a programme comprising that does not cease b A Í O . to shine. This is the time for a final G osfor O v four phases of development: evaluation, and consolidating the achievements L i 26 t a DO andothe erprogress . made in all aspects of the prograp s O 2007-2011, from approval of the strategies contained o T c i E os infrastructure, Mdossier entmme: in the White Paper to the preparation of the cultural habits, a encouragement ológ ión. c d m o u t u r l to be submitted for designation: this phase seeks ofecreativity and innovation, integration and social Inst torios m e va . y n . o 7 ó e t n i t define the programme, to create the required budgedevelopment, consolidation of high-quality tourism, 2 i n ó c i r a ie C mopening uaupc thegcity, imand a t r u tary, organisational and human-resources so on. c g 28machinery, a e Pro s de de s and to consolidate structures requierd to channel a s e 29 o n m Lí participation. 0 5 anis 0 c 3 e 33 L3 S8 2012-2015, from designation to celebration: four years M A A N T C Ó I I EN 31 to complete the preparations and put into practice all RÁ F LUS UM G C C O N the plans needed to guarantee that in 2016 the city O O LI C SD BIB U will be a true cultural capital. Time to complete the inP S R C IA frastructure envisaged, secure the definitive financing CO N E R and finalise the programmes. EFE R 2016, the year itself: most effort will be devoted to

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From 2005 onwards, the Córdoba 2016 bid became an additional component in the educational and social programmes offered by the Council.

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3.3 CoRDOBA, EUROPe...

European Conference on Cities and Culture: The Invention of Cities. 2005 and 2008 Córdoba seeks a place in the European vanguard when it comes to reflecting on the relationships that new societies establish between cities and culture. To this end, the European Conference on Cities and Culture: The Invention of Cities has now been held twice. The first, held in June 2005, revolved around three central themes: The creation of cities, and cities in fiction; Economic and cultural development models; and Proposals for a new city. This first conference was attended by recognised European experts such as Robert Palmer and Salvador Giner; they were joined by academics and philosophers including Francisco Jarauta (University of Murcia), Félix Duque (Autonomous University of Madrid) and José Luis Molinuelo (University of Salamanca), Rocío de la Villa (Autonomous University of Madrid), José Lebrero (Andalusian Centre of Contemporary Art), Alberto Villar (University of Córdoba) Juan Bosco Díaz-Urmeneta (University of Seville), Sara González (University of Newcastle), Carlos Román del Río (University of Seville), Luis González Seara (Complutense University of Madrid) and Santiago Eraso (Director of Arteleku). There was also a separate programme of talks open to the public, including a talk by the writers Enrique Vila-Matas (Cities: fiction and reality), and Ian Michael (The invention of the city in detective fiction). The conference concluded with a debate involving representatives from various European capitals, including John Kennedy (Director of Cork 2005), Patrick Moenaert (Mayor of Brussels), Anna Castellano (Genoa Council) and Carlos Baztán Lacasa (Madrid Council) together with representatives of Córdoba City Council.

The second international conference, in February 2008, was held under the dictum coined by Robert Ezra Park, one of the founders of the Chicago School’s urban sociology, when he claimed that ‘the city is the natural habitat of civilised man’. In order to reflect on the present and future of this ‘stage for human relations’, its homogenisation, its plurality and its diversity, the conference again focussed on three major themes: first, there were talks devoted to architecture and planning in the global city; second, there was a debate on antagonism and conflict, on diversity and belonging. Finally, round tables were devoted to reflecting on the democratic management of the city. Honouring Córdoba with their presence were such prestigious figures as David Harvey (City University of New York), Beatriz García (Director of Impacts 08 The Liverpool Model), Zaida Muxí (architect), Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano (architects), Salman Sayyid (University of Leeds), Franco Bianchini (Montfort University, Leicester), Sara González (University of Leeds), Armando Silva (University of California) and Manuel Delgado (University of Barcelona).

International Advisory Seminars for the Córdoba 2016 project (Córdoba, Luxembourg, Liverpool, Córdoba) 2007, 2008 and 2009 The Cultural Capital Office sponsored four international advisory seminars for the project entitled ‘Córdoba 2016. European Capital of Culture’, organised by the Interarts Foundation, one of the most important centres specialising in cultural studies in Spain and Europe. An outstanding group of European experts attended the seminars, most of them linked to cities that have experienced success as European Capitals of Culture such as Lille, Luxembourg and Helsinki. These were working sessions to evaluate, from an international perspective, the work undertaken for the Córdoba 2016 European Capital of Culture project, analyse the literature produced up to that point and come up with guidance and proposals for future tasks.

The design of the seminars also allowed doubts to be overcome and information to be obtained at first hand based on similar experiences gained in various European capitals. The Córdoba delegation, which hosted two of the seminars, also travelled to Luxembourg and Liverpool to learn from experts of the calibre of Guy Dockendorf of the Luxembourg Ministry of Culture, Beatriz García, Director of Impacts 08-The Liverpool Model,

Laurent Dréano of Lille Council, Colin Mercer of Cultural Capital Ltd., Antonio Taormina of the Fondazione Ater Formazione, Bologna, and Pekka Timonen of Helsinki Council.

The Urban Ribera programme

Publication of the book Córdoba, Europa. La dimensión europea de Córdoba. (Córdoba, Europe. Córdoba’s European Dimension) 2009 This book, published in 2009, examines key elements of Europe, its dimension, its presence and its historical continuity, and goes on to review the cultural influence exerted by Córdoba and its people from a European perspective, from the impact of Seneca to contemporary artists, writers and scientists, taking into account the cosmopolitan tastes and the love of travel characteristic of local people. The book, written by an interdisciplinary group at the University of Córdoba led by Professor Pedro Ruiz, shows how Córdoba, as a physical and spiritual meeting point, has played an important role in developing a dialogue-based solution to some of the most pressing conflicts in the difficult relationship between civilisations existing today.

In such cases, the city has shown a remarkable talent for hosting political and diplomatic dialogue, but its true potential can be realised by turning an ideal into reality as a new tomorrow emerges from a problematic present. In the unfolding of history, Córdoba – with its legacy forged by the three great monotheistic religions, the continuity of the classical tradition, and an enlightened rationality leading to a modern democratic landscape, has also endured the pain of exile and exclusion, and is thus an important repository in the European project of overcoming conflicts arising from history and the present.

La dimensión europea de Córdoba claims that Córdoba not only ‘explains’ Europe, but also that the city can become one of the driving forces in the construction of a new Europe, based on its attributes and its desire to provide a space for communication.

Participation in European Projects 1994-2010 Over the last twenty years, Córdoba has taken part in numerous European projects through a range of programmes, including programmes focussing on education, urban regeneration and Research and Development initiatives. From 1994 to the present day (including project submissions and applications for the current period 20072013), Córdoba has participated in more than 245 European projects belonging to such programmes as Culture 2000, the Media Programme; Euromed Heritage, Active European Citizenship; the European Year of Languages; the European Voluntary Service, Youth Exchange; Comenius; Leonardo da Vinci; Erasmus, Minerva; Life; URb-Al; Med-Urbs; the European Support Programme for the generation of Employment; Daphne; the European Network of Women’s Centres; as well as numerous projects falling within Community Initiatives and the European Regional Development Fund, the ESF, the Cohesion Fund and others. If anything characterises this list, which is by no means exhaustive, it is diversity. The European programmes in which Córdoba participates tend, for the most part, to focus on Education and Training, Structural Policies, Community Initiatives and Research and Development. A great deal of work is also being done through the many networks and organisations of which the city is a member, as well as through the cultural activities outlined elsewhere. There is intense activity in the field of education and training, especially with regard to the mobility of students and teachers as part of specific programmes

such as Comenius, Erasmus and Leonardo that involve educational centres, universities and other training centres. The various faculties and centres comprising the University of Córdoba have signed numerous cooperation agreements aimed both at fostering student mobility and at implementing projects of other kinds with other universities both in Europe and beyond The two Urban programmes have had an enormous impact on the city. The first was implemented in the mid-1990, and became known as Urban Riverbank . It enabled the regeneration of a highly-deteriorated area of the Old Town by increasing community services, the repaving of streets, the design of squares as meeting places and the provision of economic incentives for the creation of service companies in the heritage area. Recently the ‘Urban South’ programme has been agreed, with funding of €10 m., which aims to recover the left bank of the river using cultural activities as a tool of development and cohesion in neighbourhoods with employment, social and urban integration problems; this is a project that also forms part of the Córdoba 2016 strategy. Córdoba is also a member of 26 international networks and programmes through which it is involved in numerous projects.

3.4 Dissemination

Series of conferences on European Capitals of Culture. 2008

From the outset it has been clear that a good idea loses its value unless it is communicated, unless it is demonstrated, disseminated and explained. Córdoba’s aspiration to become the European Capital of Culture in 2016 has therefore not been left to gather dust in an office or within the four walls of a debating chamber.

The Córdoba bid has been brought to public attention thanks to an endless series of assemblies, meetings with associations, the publication of informative bulletins and leaflets, the distribution of educational material, publicity campaigns, exhibitions – both outdoor and indoor – conferences and a website. Assemblies and meetings have helped spread the word about the Córdoba 2016 bid to a large number of groups: from schools to university faculties, neighbourhood associations, business groups, citizens’ groups, youth groups, journalists, cultural managers, creators, artists and so on.

It was also felt that the people of Córdoba should learn at first hand about the experiences of other European cities with similar projects. To this end, Córdoba Council’s Cultural Capital Office, in collaboration with the Andalusian Regional Council Provincial Culture Department, organised in autumn 2008 a series of six public conferences on European Capitals of Culture, with a view to obtaining useful insights for the Córdoba 2016 project. This process brought together the experiences of cities that have already been Cultural Capital and those that are preparing their project for the near future, with the aim of acquiring standards of best practice and avoiding the errors encountered by others. To introduce the series, a round table discussion was held with the participation of three major contributors to the European cultural scene: the Interarts Foundation, of Barcelona, founded in 1995; the European Network of Local Culture Administrations Les Rencontres, made up of representatives of the various national groups from the EU cultural and educational sector (with a total of more than 160 members) and constituting a platform for cooperation, debate and action in the field of cultural policy

for Europe’s cities, provinces and regions; and finally, a highlyregarded international expert on the subject of urban and cultural development, Colin Mercer, from Britain. People who had been in charge of previous Cultural Capitals also participated in the series, including Robert García, director of Luxembourg 2007 (Luxembourg being the only city that has been Cultural Capital twice), and Xosé Manuel Villanueva, director of Santiago de Compostela, Capital of Culture in 2000. With regard to cities preparing to be European Capital of Culture in the future, the Essen-Ruhr 2010 project was presented by its Commissioner for International Relations, Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt, whose proposal is characterised

by its regional quality; and finally Yves Vasseur, Commissioner for Mons 2015, described the experiences of a city that, like Córdoba, has not yet been chosen but is working assiduously towards its goal and whose central theme is the relationship between heritage and new technologies.

cordoba2016.es

Volunteers

The Córdoba bid has boasted its own website since 2004. In 2009, the site was completely revamped, redesigned and enlarged in terms of content, making it a comprehensive and powerful tool for global communication.

The Córdoba 2016 project, characterised by public participation and involvement, regards volunteers as a driving force of the bid in many ways: as information-providers, as ambassadors and finally as important players in a large-scale exercise that has the city itself as its backdrop.

The website, which can be accessed in Spanish, English and Polish, offers information not only about the city, its cultural and natural heritage, the activities and progress of the bid, but also enables documents of interest to be downloaded and provides information about the European guidelines on cultural capitals. It receives messages of support, collects proposals, offers links to related sites and allows direct access to the candidature page on various social networks. cordoba2016.es has had almost 200,000 visits since it was relaunched in 2009.

To this end, the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation has created a volunteer network and programme with various levels of commitment, easily accessible via the website. It also collaborates with the Fundecor foundation to encourage international volunteering through the intercultural Crucible of the three cultures project, within the framework of the European Voluntary Service (EVS) and the European Commission’s Youth in Action pro-

gramme. As part of this project, it has sponsored the reception of young people from abroad, and sent young people from Córdoba to other countries to encourage intercultural dialogue and relations.

3.5 Public Opinion (Surveys, opinion polls)

The desire to find out how ordinary people perceive the Córdoba 2016 project has always been a central part of the process. Although local people are very familiar with the Córdoba 2016 bid, and its logo is conspicuous throughout the city (from public transport to shop windows, from newspaper opinion columns to the façades of cultural buildings and administrative documents), it was deemed important to discover and evaluate as rigorously as possible exactly how it is perceived. The degree of recognition and approval on the part of the public has therefore been analysed at various stages. Some of the conclusions from the most recent poll (2010) and comparisons with the poll conducted in 2008, are provided below.

Compared to 2008, the number of respondents who report that they identify to a moderate or great extent with the Córdoba 2016 European Capital of Culture Project has increased by 10.6%.

97.2% of the respondents know that Córdoba is bidding to be European Capital of Culture in 2016. Approval for the activities, on the part of people participating and, attending has increased by two percentage points to 92.1%.

47,9 %

48,1 %

2008

2010

26,8 % 51,5 %

52,1 %

2008

40 % 39,3 %

2010

16,4 % 16,6 % 11,3 % 8,3 %

5,1 %

8,2 %

6,6 % 2,6 % 2,1 %

8,2 % 7,6 % 0,3 %

The best-known of the activities so far sponsored by the bid are: 84,5%: the Courtyards Festival 77,9%: the White Night of Flamenco 70,4%: the International Guitar Festival 50,6%: the Cosmopoética poetry festival Attendance or participation in at least one of the events sponsored by the bid has increased by 3.5% compared to 2008 and now stands at 70.2%.

0,7 %

0,3 % Very identified

Very favourable

Favourable

Indifferent

Unfavourable

Fairly identified

Somewhat identified

Not very identified

Not at all identified

Don’t know / No answer

Very unfavourable

Respondents give the management of the bid by public organisations to date an average score of 6.77; this is 0.85 higher than the average score obtained in 2008. The average score for degree of confidence in Córdoba being chosen as the 2016 European Capital of Culture is 7.31, almost half a point higher than the average score obtained in 2008.

visit (...) cities, to learn and learn from those who have knowledge. 4 in Madrid

Antonio Gala, writer.

On 11 May 2009, the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation and the Córdoba 2016 bid were formally presented to the Madrid public. The presentation took place at the Círculo de Bellas Artes with a broad representation of figures from the worlds of music, art, literature, business, politics and universities from all over Spain. The writer Antonio Gala supplied irony and erudition, the Flamenco singer El Pele poured out raw emotion, while the Córdoba School of Catering tempted the assembled palates in a finale enlivened by a session with Córdoba DJs. More than 700 people accepted the invitation of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, which gave a detailed presentation of the Córdoba 2016 bid and also presented ‘Córdoba In 16 Mode, the Future has Roots’, a document reviewing many of the reasons Córdoba is worthy of such a distinction; among them, its historical role in the construction of Europe, the roll-call of men and women from all cultural spheres born in Córdoba, the rich architectural and natural heritage, its network of installations and the various cultural events that take place throughout the year, from the Guitar Festival, Cosmopoética, Eutopía and Animacor, to important public exhibitions and artistic performances.

Included in the audience were artists such as Darya Von Berner, Darío Basso and Ginés Liébana, gallery owners such as Juana de Aizpuru and Pepe Cobo, the collector Pilar Citoler, musicians including Javier Bergia, José María

that have emerged from this part of the world over two centuries. They were also in charge of introducing the four founding members of the Foundation: the Chancellor of the University of Córdoba, the delegate of the Andalusian Regional Council The gala was compèred by local actors in Córdoba, the Fernando Tejero and Macarena Gómez, President of the who posed a set of “key questions” to Provincial Council illustrate Córdoba’s influence on the and the Mayor of formation of Europe. Córdoba and president of the Foundation, Andrés Ocaña. They jointly Cano and Ismael Serrano, desigembodied the united institutional ners such as Chus Burés and Elio Benhayer, the director of the Reina support for the project and its civic and participatory character. Sofía National Art Museum Centre Berta Sureda, cultural attachés from various embassies in Madrid, as well as many other supporters. The Córdoba actors Fernando Tejero and Macarena Gómez hosted the presentation in the Fernando de Rojas Theatre at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. They posed a series of rhetorical ‘key questions’ that served to illustrate Córdoba’s influence in the formation of what we know today as Europe, form the presence of Seneca, Averroes o Maimónides in western cultural discourse to the scientific and artistic contributions

... that you will enter ports seen for thefirst time with such pleasure, with such joy;... 5 Research trips and presentation of the C贸rdoba bid, 2004-2010 Italy, France, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway...

2004: GenoVa, PARiS, BARCELONA... A Córdoba delegation, led by Manuel Pérez, the Director of the Córdoba Cultural Capital Office, learnt about the activities organised by Genova for its year as cultural capital. Various meetings were held with the managers of the cultural programme, and visits were made to some of the events and projects with Anna Castellano, head of Culture for the City Council, acting as guide.

2008: LIVERPOOL, MONS, 2005: RHODES...

STAVANGER...

In Rhodes , the general assembly of the OWHC (Organisation of World Heritage Cities), of which Córdoba is a member, approved by popular acclaim a motion by Rosa Aguilar, Mayor of the city, voicing support for Córdoba’s bid to become 2016 European Capital of Culture.

A delegation from the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, led by Carlota Álvarez Basso, and representatives of the Córdoba City Council Department of Culture visited Liverpool , 2008 European City of Culture. They inspected some of the installations specially-designed for the Year of Culture and held meetings with its director, Sir Bob Scott, and Neil Peterson, director of external and international relations for the Liverpool Culture Company, the body entrusted with all organisational responsibilities; they also met Beatriz García, then head of Impacts 08, a project devoted to assessing what designation meant for Liverpool.

Representatives of the Córdoba 2016 Municipal Office and the Córdoba Strategic Plan met with those in charge of the Luxembourg and Region 2007 European Capital of Culture. They had meetings with, among others, Christianne Sietzen and Robert García, coordinators of the project. They visited some of the city’s new cultural centres, such as the home of the Philharmonic and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as installations designed to commemorate the Year of Culture, accompanied by the head of Socio-cultural Affairs from Luxembourg Council, Steph Meyers.

In the year of the first Cosmopoética Poetry Festival, representatives of the Córdoba 2016 Municipal Office attended the well-established poetry event Le Marché de la Poésie, held in Saint Sulpice square in Paris . The Córdoba 2016 project was promoted via some of the event’s publicity and information material. Thus began a partnership that lasted until 2008, generating a close relationship between the Paris and Córdoba events. Representatives from the municipal Department of Culture presented the Córdoba 2016 project to the Culture Forum in Barcelona , where they introduced the bid, outlining its participatory nature and its international scope. The delegation attended various workshops and round tables, and actively participated in a meeting devoted to rural tourism.

2007: Luxembourg...

2006: Lisbon, PARiS... Acting on one of the recommendations contained in the European guidelines, the Office organised the exchange of young Córdoba artists (musicians, sculptors and writers) with their counterparts in Portugal and France. ‘There and back’ concerts, lectures and exhibitions were organised in Lisbon and Córdoba in the spring and autumn of 2006. The project, christened Migrations. Arts in Translation was repeated with a similar formula in 2008, this time between Paris and Cordoba.

Representatives from the Cultural Capital Office travelled to Mons for a meeting organised by the Association of European Cities and Regions for Culture, Les Rencontres, which focussed on the theme of ‘Roots and Culture’. The Córdoba delegation first met the team leading the Mons bid for European Capital of Culture in 2015, which will be the next occasion on which a Belgian city holds the title. The next meeting was with the project director for the Norwegian city of Stavanger – joint 2008 European Capital of Culture with Liverpool - Rune Thele. Mons also provided an opportunity to meet the president of Les Rencontres, Roger Tropeano, with the aim of initiating Córdoba’s entry into the association, of which it is now a full member.

2009: Nuremberg, LILLE, warsaw... The Mayor of Córdoba, Andrés Ocaña, led an institutional, cultural and business delegation to visit the German city of Nuremberg to strengthen ties of friendship and continue the city twinning process begun a year earlier. The agreement was finally signed in Córdoba on 6 May 2010 by the mayor of the city and his Bavarian counterpart, Ulrich Maly, and was described as the twinning of Córdoba, the city of tolerance with Nuremberg, the city of human rights. Important cultural and educational projects are already emerging from this relationship. In May, the head of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, Carlota Álvarez Basso, and Francisco Aguilera Fuentes, head of Promotion for the Foundation, represented Córdoba 2016 at the conference organised by the European Commission in Brussels for all the Spanish cities bidding to be the 2016 European Capital of Culture. Its principle goals were to make progress in efforts to raise awareness of the selection process, increase its visibility and encourage the exchange of best practice. The experiences, challenges and difficulties encountered by cities such as Liverpool (2008) and MarseilleProvence (2013) were discussed, as were issues of financing and budgetary preparation in the cases of Lille (2004), Stavanger (2008), Linz (2009), Turku (2011), Luxembourg (2007), Essen (2010) and Tallinn (2011). The Córdoba delegation also held a meeting with Elvira Saint-Gerons Herrera, the Andalusian Regional Government’s delegate in Brussels. From Brussels, the delegation travelled to Lille where, in the company of Laurent Dréano, cultural representative for Lille Council, it visited exhibitions and installations for Lille 3000, a project demonstrating the success of the city – European Capital of Culture in 2004 – in attaining sustainability.

2010: Brussels, MADRID... A Córdoba delegation led by the head of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, Carlota Álvarez Basso, took part in the European Culture Forum, held in Brussels . in the last week of September. The delegation also had a meeting with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture to exchange impressions regarding the bid. It also attended a series of conferences in the Culture Programme entitled Culture in Movement. The European Culture Forum, which brought together more than 600 participants from gass-roots oragnisations in member states and European institutions, devoted two days to analysing progress in implementing the European Agenda for Culture. The debates focussed on three key themes: cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue; culture as a catalyst for creativity and innovation; and culture as an essential element in external relations.

In October, the head of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, Carlota Álvarez Basso, accompanied by the adviser on Polish affairs, Monica Poliwka, and the assistant to Córdoba Council’s General Directorate for Culture, Juan Carlos Limia, travelled to Poland to strengthen ties with some of the Polish cities bidding to become European Capital of Culture in 2016: Gdansk, Lodz, Toru and Warsaw . A Córdoba delegation made up of the head of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, Carlota Álvarez Basso, the director of the Córdoba Archaeological Museum, María Dolores Baena, as a member of the Drafting Committee for the dossier, and the coordinator of the Culture Department of the Andalusian Regional Council in Córdoba, Alfonso Muñoz, travelled in November to Marseille , designated European Capital of Culture in 2013, to gather first-hand information about its successful project and establish future partnerships and co-productions with its leaders. The Marseille 2013 project is sprinkled with references to Córdoba as an ancient city of culture and dialogue.

A Córdoba delegation led by the head of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, Carlota Álvarez Basso, took part in the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the European Capitals of Culture. The European Union celebrated the event in Brussels on 23 and 24 March with various conferences to meet and exchange experiences among the cities that have been, are, or will be European Capitals of Culture, as well as candidate cities. The conferences were honoured by the presence of the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso; the Culture Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou; and the President of the European Parliament’s Education and Culture Commission, Doris Pack. Córdoba attended the meeting of Les Rencontres (Association of European Cities and Regions for Culture), organised under the auspices of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, entitled La Rencontre de Madrid , between 14 and 16 April 2010. The head of the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation, Carlota Álvarez Basso, took part in the meeting, which was also attended by various cities preparing their bids to become the European Capital of Culture 2016, from both Spain and Poland. Among other goals, the intention of La Rencontre de Madrid was to encourage the creation of networks among the participants, as well as situating local, national and European cultural policies within the context of a broader international perspective.

... But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for long years; and even to anchor at the isle when you are old rich with all that you have gained on the way,... 38

Enjoying the journey Córdoba’s cultural programming in the last few decades has been characterised by its stability and continuity; but it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that 2016 and the bid to become European Capital of Culture have turned the city into a type of ‘laboratory’ for experimenting and creating a wide range of new cultural projects. With citizen-participation and the European dimension as central strands, far-reaching initiatives have emerged to complete a rich offer, as is evident from the annual report Córdoba, En Clave 16 (Córdoba in 16 Mode). Some programmes have used the spirit of the bid to assume a much broader dimension than before – for example the exhibitions of contemporary art in the province coming under the Periféricos (Peripheries) umbrella or the Córdoba Guitar Festival – while others were born and are successfully growing thanks to the bid, such as Cosmo-

poética, a first-class international poetry festival, winner of the 2009 National Prize for the Encouragement of Reading, the White Night of Flamenco, Eutopía, a European encounter for young artists, the urban installations of All the City a Stage and the dialogue between tradition and modernity represented by The Sky Within My House: contemporary art in the courtyards of Córdoba. And all this, served with a large dose of playfulness, in acknowledgement of the fact that Culture is to be enjoyed like a fiesta.

...With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience, you must surely have understood by then what Ithacas mean. 7 40

the voyage

Internationally-renowned figures in the arts, literature and the sciences believe that C贸rdoba deserves to be designated European Capital of Culture in 2016. We have also received support from institutions of all kinds and from all over. Like them, thousands of anonymous women and men have lent their support to the project. They are the passengers who have opted to share our voyage. The Endorsements Programme is one of the most conspicuous mechanisms for showing support for the bid. Its main virtues lie in the fact that it is a voluntary act that is easy to perform, and it transcends the parochial. The C贸rdoba bid has received to date over 140,000 identified and registered endorsements. Each of these is a new travelling companion, that has joined us for the duration of the journey. Each endorsement is akin to a ticket

entitling the holder to come on board and share the voyage. Outstanding figures from all spheres, all cultures and from all over the world have acquired them, freely and free of charge: great musicians, men and women of letters, novelists, artists, actors, directors, essayists, scientists, humanists, philosophers, poets and princes. Likewise, national and international institutions from a wide range of sectors including universities, businesses, the sporting and social

spheres, professional and trades union organisations, and representatives of Andalusian, Spanish and European local authorities who view C贸rdoba as an inspirational city. And, above all, we are accompanied by ordinary men and women, colleagues in the project, who know and acknowledge that C贸rdoba is worthy of becoming a European Capital of Culture in the twenty-first century when, more than ever before, it is the people who build civilisation.

In Córdoba, one breathes culture. Few cities have so much natural and architectural beauty as Córdoba. It strikes me as the ideal place to be European Capital of Culture.

Literature, fine arts... Many passengers from the worlds of literature and art have joined us on our journey. Men and women who see Córdoba as a source of inspiration, as a place that lives and breathes art and poetry, where some of the most important human creations have emerged in terms of what we now understand by European and universal culture. Some of these people are recipients of the highest honours, such as the Nobel Prizes for Literature awarded to Seamus Heaney, Derek Walcott and Darío Fo, or the Prince of Asturias Prizes for Literature granted to Ángel González and Pablo García Baena, and the Cervantes Prizes awarded to Juan Gelman and Antonio Gamoneda. Adam Zagajewski / Poland Ko Un / Korea Lionel Ray / France Michel Houellebeck / France Giogonda Belli / Nicaragua Claribel Alegría / Nicaragua Jean Portante / Luxembourg Lasse Soderberg / Sweden Volker Braun / Germany Eduardo Galeano / Uruguay Ida Vitale / Uruguay Mahmud Darwish / Palestine Ali Ahmad “Adonis” / Syria Mark Strand / USA Robert Hass / USA Rafael Cadenas / Venezuela Óscar Hahn / Chile Edoardo Sanguineti / Italiy

Nicole Brossard / Canada Fátima Naoot / Egypt Arnaldo Calveyra / Argentina Ana Istaru / Costa Rica Henrik Norbrandt / Denmark Nuno Judice / Portugal Reina María Rodríguez / Cuba Nancy Morejón / Cuba Alan Sillitoe / United Kingdom Álvaro Mutis / Colombia Fabio Morabito / Mexico Pura López Colome / Mexico Arundhathi Subramanian / India Ana Blandiana / Romania Shlomo Avayou / Israel Mohamed Achaari / Marocco Claes Anderson / Finland

Plus hundreds of Spanish artists and writers, including: Antonio Gala J.M. Caballero Bonald Leopoldo Alas Antonio Muñoz Molina Almudena Grandes Ana Diosdado Luis García Montero Eduardo Mendicutti Felipe Benítez Reyes Félix Grande José L. Sampedro Luis A. de Villena Juan José Millás Ángeles Caso Juan Manuel de Prada Blanco Manuel Vicent Fanny Rubio Vicente Gallego Olvido García Valdés Benjamín Prado Tomás Segovia

Jaime Siles Julia Uceda Antonio Colinas Marcos Ana Sebastián Alzamora Joan Margarit Luis A. de Cuenca Carlos Edmundo de Ory Agustín Fernández Mallo Antón Reixa Antonio Martínez Sarrión Miquel Barceló Agustín Ibarrola Juan Cuenca Juan Serrano y Pepe Duarte (Equipo 57) Sofía Gandarias Luis Gordillo Izaskun Arrieta Kepa Akizu...

Juan Manuel de Prada Blanco, writer.

Dario Fo, actor and playwright. Winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Córdoba is the example of peaceful coexistence, of mixed cultures, of fantastic enrichment. It is a city that deserves to be European Capital of Culture in all senses.

Michel Houellebeck, writer.

Manuel Vicent, writer. Derek Walcott, poet and playwright. Winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Seamus Heaney, poet. Winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Miquel Barceló, painter.

Since the first year it was held in 2004, Cosmopoética’s closing ceremony has included the reading of a manifesto in which the participating poets express their support for the Córdoba 2016 bid. This is support of great value, given the prestige of the signatories: important literary figures from all over the world writing in a host of languages; it is also important quantitatively because, year after year, Cosmopoética brings together in Córdoba hundreds of poets, story-tellers, musicians and artists.

We, poets from various countries of the world, who make words instruments of understanding between peoples, assembled in Córdoba, World Heritage City, Córdoba that has made tolerance and the meeting of cultures hallmarks of its identity, example of peaceful coexistence between peoples of different religions, different sensibilities, Córdoba of poetry and peace, believe that Córdoba embodies the qualities needed for the title of European City of

Angeles Caso, writer.

Culture has to be conquered day by day. If any city deserves to be European Capital of Culture, it is Córdoba.

Manifesto of the Poets of the World in Córdoba

Gioconda Belli, poet.

Culture in 2016, in view of its gifts to universal culture, since the time it was called Colonia Patricia, Umayyad capital and city that has wisely known how to unite an historic past with its modern desire to incorporate new currents of thought, art, and science, and manifest our support for Córdoba’s bid to become European Capital of Culture 2016.

music, dance... Outstanding figures from the worlds of music and dance have also signed up for the Córdoba 2016 adventure. Music and dance are universal languages that acknowledge neither boundaries nor frontiers, but are rather bridges over which they flow and extend, where they can make contact with kindred artistic expressions in order to enrich and enlarge. Lively passengers have come on board from Flamenco, from the populist expressions of rock and pop, but also from the more classical and more contemporary disciplines... Juan Manuel Serrat Bob Dylan Zubin Metha Leo Brower Yosuf Islam (Cat Stevens) Tomas Marco Lorenzo Palomo Silvio Rodríguez Ainhoa Arteta Carlos Álvarez Joaquín Sabina Alejandro Sanz Pablo Ibáñez Ismael Serrano Rosa León Maurizio Barbacini José Menese Luis Eduardo Aute Jaume Sisa Juan Manuel Soto Fito Cabrales Adolfo Cedrán Javier Krahe Amancio Prada Miguel Poveda Julio Bocca

Víctor Ullate Antonio Canales Sara Baras Cristina Hoyos Elvira Andrés Huertas Paco De Lucia Enrique Morente Estrella Morente Manolo Sanlúcar Vicente Amigo Lenny Kravitz Andreas Knoblich José Fernández “Tomatito” Mª Dolores Pradera Miguel Ríos Manuel Barrueco Javier Ruibal Cristina Rosenvinge Tito Alcedo Pablo Guerrero Quintín Cabrera El Barrio Marina Rosell Nacho Vegas Manuel Moreno Maya “El Pele” Javier Bergia

Lenny Kravitz, singer.

Bob Dylan, singer.

Córdoba ought to have been made European Capital of Culture long ago. Joaquín Sabina, singer.

Rafael Azcona Pilar Bardem Ana Belén Héctor Alterio Juan Echanove Mª Asunción Balaguer Francisco Valladares Gabino Diego Nuria Espert Agustín Almodóvar Amparo Rivelles

Communication, journalism... Córdoba provides a space for communication, for the analysis of events, for open debate and the free exchange of opinions. Many men and women from the world of communication and journalism believe therefore that our city is an ideal place to report on the history of the future from the context of the present... Manuel Campo Vidal Juan Luis Cebrián Rosa Montero Pilar Cernuda Joaquín Estefanía Fernando González Urbaneja Rosa Villacastín Ana Rosa Quintana Gemma Nierga Juan Cruz Juan Manuel Marqués Rafael Cremades Oscar López López José M. Calvo Roy

Pedro Almodovar, film director.

Juan Diego Boto Rafael Álvarez “El Brujo” Enriqueta Carballeira Ramón Fontsere Fernando Tejero Mercedes Sampietro Concha Velasco Nati Mistral Concha Cuetos Jordi Revellón

Miguel A. Gozalo Jesús Rivaset Carmen Gurruchaga Rodolfo Serrano Antonio Fraguas “Forges” José Mª Monzón “Gran Wyoming” Ignacio Ramonet Carlos Luis Álvarez “Candido” Román Orozco Jesús Quintero Alfonso Palomares Beatriz Cortázar José A. Vera

Politics, business, sport...

Figures from stage and screen recognise that Córdoba, its ambience, its urban and natural landscape comprise a spectacular backdrop and a fascinating collection of settings. They support the bid because of this, and because they know the people of the city are writing a script with vast backing, that twists and turns, and are enjoying the plot...

Many representatives of the worlds of politics, business, thought and sport also consider Córdoba to be a privileged place for the development of strategies to rethink the world in these times, to design a better future. This explains why they back us...

Vicente Aranda David Trueba Icíar Bollaín José Luis Cuerda Manuel Gómez Pereira Imanol Uribe Gonzalo Suarez José Luis Garci Gracia Querejeta José Luis Borau Pedro Almodóvar Pere Portabella Gerardo Olivares

Ainhoa Arteta, opera singer.

Nuria Espert, actress.

Gemma Nierga, journalist..

And more than 60 Córdoban journalists who signed a manifesto in favour of the candidacy!

Film, performing arts...

Gerardo Vera José Carlos Plaza Grigor Murray Arthur Penn Richard Kidwell Mario Gas Salvador Távora Luis Olmos Miguel Narros Jordi Milán Fernando Trueba Jordi Grau Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón

Córdoba deserves it Just as the world’s most beautiful cities deserve it.

Federico Mayor Zaragoza / Former Director General. UNESCO Rigoberta Menchu / Nobel peace prize winner Ernesto Cardenal / Writer, Former Minister of Culture, Nicaragua J. R. Álvarez Renduelas / President, Principe de Asturias Foundation 1995-2008 María Kodama / President, “Jorge Luis Borges” International Foundation Shlomo Ben-Ami / Essayist, Writer, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel, Vicepresident of the Toledo International Centre For Peace (C.I.T.) Samir Nair / Essayist, Writer, Professor of Political Sciences. University of Paris XIII Miguel Ángel Moratinos / Minister of Foreign Affairs, Spai Rem Koolhaas / Architect, Winner of The Pritzker Prize for Architecture Trinidad Jiménez / Minister of Health and Social Policy Pentti Holappa / President, European Academy of Poetry Vasili Vassilikos / Writer, Permanent Representative of Greece at UNESCO

Rigorberta Menchu, Nobel peace prize winner.

María Kodama, “Jorge Luis Borges” International foundation.

Rem Koolhaas, architect.

Luis Ignacio Ramallo Massanet / President, Spanish National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO Eugenio Yunis Ahues / Head of Sustainable Development, Wto Arlette Albert-Birot / Poet, President of “Le Marché de la Poésie”, Paris Ramin Jahanbegloo / Philosopher, Essayist, University of Toronto, Canada Sergio Ramírez / Writer, Former Minister, Nicaragua Gilberto Gil / Musician, Former Minister of Culture, Brazil Ivan Ivanov / Executive Director, Erio ( European Roma Information Office) Conrado Dorantes / President of the Paniberian Association of Olympic Academies Ulrich Maly / Mayor of Nuremberg (Germany) Patrick Moenaert / Mayor of Bruges (Belgium) Mohamed Isaomar / Mayor of Tetuan (Marocco) Ricardo Mario Ehrlich de Quesada / Mayor of Montevideo Tahir Akyürek / Mayor of Konia (Turkey) Raúl Saldivar / Mayor of Serena (Chile) José A. Hernández Fraguas / Mayor of Oaxaca (Mexico) Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín / Mayor of Seville (Spain) Miguel Ángel García Nieto / Alcalde de Ávila (Spain) José Antonio Sánchez / Alcalde de Santiago de Compostela (Spain) Vicente Quiralte / Director, National Library of Mexico Luis Eduardo Rendon Escobar / Director, International Poetry Festival, Medellín (Colombia) Carlos Berzosa / Chancellor, Complutense University of Madrid Juan A. Gimeno Ullastres / Chancellor, Uned (Spanish Open University) Mercedes Gutiérrez Sánchez / Ombudsman for University Students, Complutense University of Madrid José Mª Martín Delgado / Chancellor, International University of Andalusia Eugenio Domínguez Vílchez / Professor, Former Chancellor, University of Cordoba Laurent Boetsch / Dean, Washington and Leeds University Alexandra Burslem / Vice-Chacellor Manchester Metropolitan University Julio Rodríguez Puértolas / Professor, Complutense Univ. of Madrid Mª Jesús Viguera Molins / Professor of Arabic Studies, Complutense University of Madrid, Director, Al-Andalus Living Library Migue Ángel Troitiño / Geographer, Professor, Complutense Univ. of Madrid Roman Gubern / Professor, Film Critic, Essayist Eugenio García Zarza / Professor, President, Centre for Salamanca Studies Serge Salaum / Hispanist, Professor, Paris- Sorbonne University Paul Aubert / Hispanista, Professor, University of Provence Geoffrey Ribans / Hispanist, Emeritus Professor. United States Sergio Oehninger / Director, Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Virginia-Usa José Antonio Menéndez-Pidal / Vicepresident, Institute of Tourism Werner Desimpeleare / President, Bruge Planning Group Manuel Pimentel / Former Minister José Rodríguez de la Borbolla / Former President, Andalusian Regional Council Alejandro Blanco / President, Spanish Olympic Committee Florentino Pérez / Businessman, President, Real Madrid Football Club Carlos Del Campo / SSecretary, Professional Football League (L.F.P.) Fernando Lamikiz Larai / President, Atletic de Bilbao Football Club Miguel del Barco Gallego / Director, Royal College of Music, Madrid Rosina Gómez Baeza / Director, Arco (1986-2006) María Corral / Exhibition Curator, Former Director of The Museo Reina Sofia Susana Spadoni Márquez / Honorary Director, Museo Pablo Serrano Juana de Aizpuru / Gallery Owner Ramón González de Amezúa / Director, Royal San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts (1991-2008) Juan De Dios Ramírez Heredia / President, Spanish Romani Union Diego Fernández Jiménez / Director, Institute of Gypsy Culture Mª Félix Carrillo de los Reyes / President, Union of Roma Women Luis Aragonés / Coach, National Football Team

NB: The posts of the supporters shown above are those they held at the time of lending their support to Córdoba 2016.

Andalusian bodies

Spanish bodies

There are many associations, organisations, businesses and clubs from Andalusia that have voiced their support for the Córdoba bid. They belong to a wide variety of sectors: from the labour movement to business, from sporting to cultural organisations, via groups dedicated to aiding development, to education, thought... They joined at the outset, knowing that the Córdoba 2016 bid is that of the South, the one that represents the secular yearning of this area to be a bridge between continents and civilisations.

Likewise, national associations and groups of all types, business and professional federations, cultural institutions... All share our journey and join the project.

ACSUR (Actividades y Cauces Del Sur) Andaluza de Publicidad y Mercados / Seville Antea, Cultura y Patrimonio / Seville Antelec, S.L. Asociación Andalucía-Europa Asociación Andaluza de Ciencia Regional Asociación Bética Nostra / Seville Asociación Cultural Ateneo Andaluz / Seville Asociación Cultural Eurofolk / Granada Asociación de Amigos Del Legado Sefardí / Seville Asociación de Amistad Hispano Israelí Sevilla Sefardí Asociación de Editores de Andalucía Asociación de Gestores Culturales de Andalucía (G.E.C.A.) Asociación de Profesores de Geografía e Historia, Hespérides Asociación Ib Firnás / Seville Cátedra de Flamencología de Jerez de da Frontera Centro Andaluz de Estudios y Gestiones / Seville Centro de Estudios Históricos de Andalucía / Seville Cietesa, S.A. Club de Atletismo San Pablo / Seville Confederación Andaluza de Peñas Flamencas Confederación de Asociaciones Vecinales de Andalucía (Cava) Confederación Andaluza de Comercio (Ceca) Coordinadora Andaluza de Teatro Aficionado Ecuse, Gestión Cultural / Jaén Euroconsa, S.L. / Huelva Federación Andaluza de Asociaciones Provinciales de Guías Turísticos Federación Andaluza de Empresas Cooperativas de Trabajo Asociado (Faecta) Federación de Asociaciones Cristianas de Andalucía Federación de Migrantes de la Unión Europea en Andalucía “Forum” Fondo Andaluz de Municipios para la Solidaridad Internacional (FAMSI) Fundación Blas Infante Fundación para la Bienal Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo de Sevilla Grupo de Cervezas Alhambra Intergroup Hoteles / Seville Médicos Mundi Andalucía Mercajerez Plataforma Andaluza de Voluntariado Revista Fila Siete Sociedad Andaluza de Estudios Histórico-Jurídicos UGT-Andalucía Unión Andaluza de Cooperativas de Viviendas Unión Romaní de Andalucía Universidad de Almería Universidad de Cádiz Universidad de Córdoba Universidad de Huelva Universidad de Jaén Universidad Internacional de Andalucía Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia / Cordoba Universidad Pablo Olavide de Sevilla

Academia Olímpica Española AISGE (Sociedad de Gestión de Artistas e Intérpretes) Asociación “Amigos de Miguel Hernández” / Madrid Fundación Miguel Hernández / Orihuela Asociación Cultural “Casa De Andalucía” / Madrid Asociación de Informadores Gráficos de Prensa y TV Ayuda en Acción CEPYME (Confederación Española Pequeña y Mediana Empresa) Confederación Española de Asociaciones de Jóvenes Empresarios Confederación Española de Asociaciones Profesionales de Guías Turísticos Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE) Consejo Superior de Colegios de Arquitectos de España Federación de Asociación de Vecinos de Madrid Federación de Casas Regionales de la Comunidad de Madrid Federación de Asociaciones de Agencias de Viajes de España Federación Nacional de Escuelas de Turismo (ANESTUR) Federación Nacional de Trabajadores Autónomos Fundación Príncipe de Asturias Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias Red de Juderías de España “Camino De Sefarad” Revista Al-Ándalus / Madrid Revista Álbum de las Letras y las Artes Revista Arte Fotográfico SGAE (Sociedad General De Autores) Sociedad Mercados Centrales de Madrid (Mercamadrid) Unión de Profesionales y Artistas Por los Niños del Mundo

International bodies Similarly international foundations and associations, recognising the role Córdoba in the culture of Europe and the world... Asociación Bordeaux 2013 / France Asociación de Artes Plásticas Marroquí / Alhucemas, Marocco Asociación Hair / Romania Asociación Panibérica de Academias Olímpicas Asociación para la difusión de la cultura española (D.I.C.E.) / Paris, France Centro Andaluz de Mendoza / Argentina Centro Cultural “Santa Fe de Veracruz” / Argentina Centro de Promoción Cultural / Mexico Circe: Marché de la Poésie / Paris, France Escuela de Flamenco “Passion du sud” / Lausanne, Switzerland Federación Panhelénica de Escuelas de Lenguas Extranjeras / Patra, Greece Fundación Saud Al-Babtain / Saudi Arabia Maghreb Arabe Presse Musée National d’histoire et d’art / Luxemburgo Organización Mundial de Ciudades Patrimonio de la Humanidad School Of The Arts. Virginia Common Wealth Universsity / EE.UU Secretaría Regional de Europa del sur y Mediterráneo de las Ciudades Patrimonio Mundial Society for Judeo-Arabic Studies. Hebrew University of Jerusalem / Israel The Khatt Foundation / Amsterdam, The Netherlands

... And the citizens Simply checking the www.Córdoba2016.es website is enough to show that over 100,000 people in Córdoba with names, surnames, trade names – and all their messages – have signed up to support the city’s bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2016, making this the most heavily supported of all the projects undertaken in Córdoba in recent years. At the helm, and steering the vessel, the current Mayor of the city, Andrés Ocaña, and the institutional leaders of the Andalusian Regional Council in Córdoba, the Provincial Council and the University, i.e. the institutions that comprise the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation. Also playing their part have been all the mayors of the city in the democratic era: Julio Anguita, Herminio Trigo, Manuel Pérez, Rafael Merino and Rosa Aguilar, as well as the mayors of the local authorities of the province. The university community has given fundamental support and we thank the successive Chancellors of recent years, the Vice-Chancellors and the thousands of professors and students. There has also been a notable contribution from the leaders of

the city’s principal organisations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Córdoba Business Confederation, the general secretaries of the CCOO and UGT trades unions, the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations, the Royal Academy and thousands of leaders of cultural, social, sporting, residents’ and recreational associations; as well as companies, clubs, foundations, professional associations, commercial associations, hoteliers... Also playing an important role in the candidacy have been artists, writers, musicians, film-makers, actors, directors of museums, directors of art galleries, of cultural centres...; that is to say, all those who make up the social and cultural framework of the city. The news media have also been involved in the project from the outset; the local Press Association

and the heads of all Córdoba’s media outlets have lent their support to the candidacy, while journalists working for local and provincial newspapers have written and distributed a manifesto of support for Córdoba 2016. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the three newspapers serving the province, Diario Córdoba, El Día de Córdoba and ABC Córdoba, are partners in the Córdoba Cultural City Foundation and include the ECoC logo in their pages every day. To each and every one of them, to the people of Córdoba and the whole province who have so generously embraced this candidacy: Thank you for sharing the journey and have a very good trip...

...I have no hesitation in supporting your bid to be designated European Capital of Culture, for I share your conviction that this event will mark the culmination and just reward for your long-standing efforts and long-recognised merits... His Royal Highness the Prince of Asturias

Has anyone ever considered the philosophy of travel? It might be worth while. What is life but a form of motion, and a journey through a foreign world? Moreover, locomotion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the privilege of animals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is perhaps the key to intelligence George Santayana: The Philosophy of Travel

CULTURAL PROGRAMME CREDITS EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Chairman

Andrés Ocaña Rabadán, Mayor of Córdoba Vice-Chairman

Advisors to the Drafting Committee Francisco Aguilera Fuentes, Staff member, Córdoba Cultural City Foundation Juan Carlos Limia Mateo, Staff member, Department of Culture, Córdoba City Council Javier Lucena Domínguez, Staff member, Cultural Capital Office

Francisco Pulido Muñoz, President, Córdoba Provincial Council Ex officio Board Members Isabel Ambrosio Palos, Andalusian Regional Council Representative in Córdoba José Manuel Roldán Nogueras, Chancellor, University of Córdoba Board members representing Founding Institutions Representing the City Council

Rafael Blanco Perea Rosa Candelario Ruiz Manuel Pérez Pérez Juan José Primo Jurado Representing Córdoba Provincial Council

Elena Cortés Jiménez José Mariscal Campos Mª José Montes Pedrosa Representing the Andalusian Regional Council

Joaquín Dobladez Soriano Juan Torres Aguilar Rafaela Valenzuela Jiménez Representing the University of Córdoba

Angelina Costa Palacios Ramón Montes Ruiz Manuel Torres Aguilar Management Carlota Álvarez Basso, Manager, Córdoba Cultural City Foundation Manuel Pérez Pérez, Director, Cultural Capital Office Drafting Committee Mª Dolores Baena Alcántara, Director, Córdoba Archeological and Ethnological Museum Javier Flores Castillero, Cultural manager, artist and exhibiton curator Pablo García Casado, Director, Andalusian Film Institute; writer Eugenio González Madorrán, Architect Carlos Hernández Pezzi, Architect Alberto Martín Expósito, Art critic and exhibition curator. General Coordinator of the Salamanca European Capital of Culture, 2002; at present Cultural Coordinator at the University of Salamanca Juan Miguel Moreno Calderón, Professor of Piano and Director of the “Rafael Orozco” School of Music Pedro Ruiz Pérez, Professor of Spanish Literature at the University of Córdoba Octavio Salazar Benítez, Professor of Constitutional Law and Director General for Culture at the University of Córdoba

External advisors Monika Bonet Poliwka, Adviser, Polish affairs Guy Dockendorf, Director General of the Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg, Vice-President of Luxembourg, European Capital of Culture 1995; chairman of the organising board of “Luxembourg and Greater Region, European Capital of Culture, 2007”. Mercedes Giovinazzo, Chair, Access to Culture Platform; Director, Interarts Colin Mercer, Independant consultant Eduard Miralles, Head of International Cultural Relations, Barcelona Provincial Council; Chairman, Interarts Antonio Taormina, Director, ATER Formazione Pekka Timonen, Director of Culture, Helsinki City Council Collaborators Eloisa Acosta Fernández, Department of Youth, Córdoba City Council Juan Aljama Morilla, Accessibility Office, Projects Service, Town Planning Department, Córdoba Carmen Fátima Blanco Valdés, Lecturer in Italian Philology, University of Córdoba Pedro Caro González, Municipal Office, Old Town Luis Carreto Clavo, Chairman, Córdoba Business Confederation (CECO) Anabel Carrillo Lafuente, Chair, Social Council, University of Córdoba Antonio J. Castillejo Carmona, SurGESTIÓN, Córdoba Joaquín Criado Costa, Director of the Royal Academy of Science, Art and Literature of Córdoba Mohammed Dahiri, General Coordinator, Department of Social Welfare, Consumer Protection and Public Health, Córdoba City Council Paula Estebaranz Berzal, Director General for Equality, Youth and Cooperation, Córdoba City Council José Manuel Fernández Martín, Director Pro-Immigrant Association (APIC)-Andalucía Acoge Fuensanta García de la Torre, Director, Fine Arts Museum, Córdoba Quim Larrea Cruces, Chairman Surgenia, Andalusian Technological Design Centre Foundation Francisco López Gutiérrez, Adviser, Villamarta Theatre, Jerez Rocío López Lozano, Director, Department of Citizen Participation, Córdoba City Council Juan Luis López Vázquez, Director, Spanish Tourist Office in Rome Javier Martín Fernández, Lawyer, Chairman of Bodegas Campos Foundation Juan Pedro Monferrer Sala, Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Córdoba Antonio Molina Flores, University of Seville

Pedro Montero Tordera, Manager, University Foundation for the Development of Córdoba Province (FUNDECOR), University of Córdoba Eduardo Moyano Estrada, Manager, Andalusian Institute of Advanced Social Studies (IESA-CSIC) Juan Muñoz Bellido, Manager, Córdoba Green Areas /Association for the Social Defense of Adolescentents and Children (ZOVECO/ ASDAM) Rogelio Palacios Chups, Director, Andalusian Youth Institute, Córdoba (IAJ) Francisco Paniagua Merchán, Manager, Department of Town Planning, Córdoba Carlos Pardo García, Cultural manager Manuel Pérez Cortés, General Coordinator, Mayor’s Office, Córdoba City Council Rafael Pérez de la Concha Camacho, Department of Tourism and World Heritage, Córdoba City Council Mª José Peña Vélez, Director, Rural Training and Innovation (FIR) Manuel Pimentel Siles, Director, Editorial Almuzara Valentín Priego Ruiz, Chairman, Córdoba Municipal Institute for Economic Development and Employment (IMDEEC) Antonio Ramos Pemán, Manager, Tourist Board, Córdoba Provincial Council Ángel Ramírez Troyano, Andalusian Institute of Advanced Social Studies (IESA-CSIC) Gaia Redaelli, Director, Contemporary Architecture Foundation Federico Rodríguez Ardila, Manager, Córdoba Tourist Board Diego Ruiz Alcubilla, Manager, Rafael Botí Fine Arts Foundation Rafael Ruiz Pérez, Director Municipal Public Libraries of Córdoba Francisco Ruiz Montero, Culture expert, Comarca Valle del Guadiato Maria Serrano García, Director Madinat Al-Zahara Interpretation and Management Centre Miguel Ángel Troitiño, Complutense University of Madrid Mercedes Tirado Pastor, Culture expert, Córdoba Provincial Council Antonio Vallejo Triano, Director, Madinat Al-Zahara archeological site Collaborating bodies Andalusian Institute of Advanced Social Studies (IESA-CSIC), Córdoba Córdoba Business Confederation (CECO) Contemporary Architecture Foundation, Córdoba Interarts Foundation, Barcelona

Other bodies involved Andalusian Youth Institute, Córdoba (IAJ) Bodegas Campos Foundation Citizen Participation Department, Córdoba City Council Córdoba Green Areas /Association for the Social Defense of Adolescents and Children (ZOVECO/ASDAM) Córdoba Municipal Institute for Economic Development and Employment (IMDEEC) Córdoba Tourist Board Department of Arabic Studies, University of Córdoba Department of Social Welfare, Consumer Protection and Public Health, Córdoba City Council Department of Tourism and World Heritage, Córdoba City Council Department of Town Planning, Córdoba Editorial Almuzara Fine Arts Museum, Córdoba General Coordination, Mayor’s Office, Córdoba City Council General Directorate for Equality, Youth and Cooperation,Córdoba City Council Madinat- Al Zahara Archeological ComplexSite Madinat Al-Zahara Interpretation and Management Centre Municipal Public Libraries of Córdoba Museum and Institutional Headquarters of the Madinat alZahara Archaeological Complex Pro-Immigrant Association (APIC)-Andalucía Acoge Rafael Botí Fine Arts Foundation Royal Academy of Science, Art and Literature of Córdoba Rural Training and Innovation (FIR) Tourist Board, Córdoba Provincial Council University Foundation for the Development of Córdoba Province (FUNDECOR), University of Córdoba Youth Department, Córdoba City Council

Edition

Photography

Juan José Fernández Palomo María José Martín Gordillo Rafael Ruiz Gómez de Aranda

Rafael Alcaide Tete Álvarez Raúl Aparicio Lola Araque Rafael Barrios Pilar Barrionuevo José Luis Caballano Álvaro Carmona Rafa Carmona Ezequiel Castellanos Toni Castillo Guillaume Cattiaux (Flickr) Arturo Chamorro Luis Colmenero Raúl Gaitán José F. Gálvez Rafael García Castejón Alfredo Infante García-Pantaleón HBarrison (Flickr) Juan Manuel López del Prá Rafael Madero Cubero José Martínez Rafael Mellado Mauricio Mergold

Style

María José Martín Gordillo Editorial coordination

Belén Medina Baquerizo Editorial Assistance

María de los Angeles Fernández Cantueso Rafaela de la Haba Boyer Nicolás Molina Josende Antonio Prior Sánchez Manuel Rueda Úbeda Graphics coordinator

Braulio Valderas Pérez Photographs courtesy of:

ABC Córdoba Asociación Fotográfica Cordobesa (AFOCO) El Día de Córdoba

Edition, English versioN

Valerio Merino Stephanus Meyer José Antonio Modelo Rafa Montes José Moreno NASA (Craig Maythew y Robert Simmon) José Carlos Nievas Samira Ouf Randomskk (Flickr) Bruno Rascão Alicia Reguera Antonio Rueda Cornelia Steffens Stig Ove Voll (Flickr) Surizar (Flickr) Juan Manuel del Toro Braulio Valderas luc.viatour (Flickr)

Paul Edson Translation

Traducciones Eurolingua S.C., Córdoba Paul Edson Araceli Montero Valdivia Hartley Moorhouse Design and layout

é, Córdoba Printing

Brizzolis, Madrid

Córdoba, june 2010 Copyrights © Of this edition, Fundación Córdoba Ciudad Cultural © Of the texts and the translations, their authors © Of the photographs, their authors The Córdoba Cultural City Foundation has made every possible effort to locate the copyright holders of the photographs published here. We apologise in advance for any error or omission, which will be rectified in subsequent editions. Depósito legal

To elaborate and promote the candidacy of Cordoba to became European Capital of Culture in 2016, the Cordoba Cultural City Foundation has been constituted in 2006, formed by: