To become the European Capital of Culture in 2016. This is the horizon, the dream and the commitment that drives the whole of Cordoban society on and guides our daily work, in a spirit of openness, participation and maximum cooperation between institutions.

At this time, the candidature to obtain the position of European Capital of Culture lies, without a doubt, among the most relevant projects for the future projection of Cordoba, a World Heritage city.

But this plan for the future reaches beyond that key date, 2016, and clearly expresses a firm commitment to culture as an essential ingredient in order to fully develop our city.

From the beginning, the project has been lucky enough to rely on the cooperation of dozens of public and private institutions and representatives of the world of culture and
art who have not hesitated in giving us their full support and trust. They have put their confidence in an initiative that reflects our exceptional value as a record, a safeguard and a memorial of European history. Therefore, our aspiration to become European Capital of Culture in 2016 also goes hand in hand with the desire to promote the wealth and diversity of our continent. These are qualities that Cordoba knows very well, because for centuries this city has been a shining example of coexistence among peoples who have bequeathed to humanity the very best of their cultures. This heritage remains unchanged and alive to this day, and is reflected in the incomparable historical, artistic and cultural treasures our city holds.

But also forming part of this legacy are the marks of identity that, anywhere in the world, speak of Cordoba as a meeting place where dialogue, respect and equality among all people, the defence of Human Rights, and a sense of justice and solidarity are crying out to be treated as a universal language.

This is the philosophy that pervades this document, entitled “Cordoba in
16 Mode. The future has roots”, which provides the framework for all the cultural events taking place in 2009 being run by the four founding patrons of the Cordoba Cultural City Foundation. Each month of the year features a star event which tops our cultural calendar. Some of them, for their excellence and quality, already have a fully established track record and widespread prestige, on a national and international level; others are being launched as new initiatives, based on a wide range of artistic creations, and they too seek the connection between the public and culture, using both terms in their broadest sense.

The fact is that this approach, this permanent dialogue, this constant interaction between culture and citizens is, without doubt, one of the fundamental aims of our project for the European Capital of Culture, with our mind set not only on 2016, but also on the Cordoba of the 21st century.

We have been advancing towards this goal from the very day we decided to submit our application, because the mere fact of having launched the initiative has succeeded in generating new cultural habits among the citizens of Cordoba, who show a genuine passion for culture and that quality of the connoisseur which has been so common in these lands for centuries.

Andrés Ocaña Rabadán
Mayor of Cordoba
President of the Cordoba Ciudad City Foundation