BEYOND BORDERS

Slovenia’s Nova Gorica and Gorizia in Italy are this year’s European Capital of Borderless Culture. Robin McKelvie visits towns with a shared heritage split by a line on a map

Some cities are metaphorically forged on political and historic fault lines; the Slovenian city of Nova Gorica actually exists right on a literal political and historic divide. It is joined at the hip with the Italian community of Gorizia but separated by an international border. That divide is narrowing this year as both cities share centre stage as the first-ever European Capital of Borderless Culture, joining forces to shout about their charms. And this Slovenian town has plenty to shout about.

Nova Gorica’s setting is deeply dramatic in the foothills of the vaulting Julian Alps. It is the youngest city in Slovenia, a planned urban environment built by socialist Yugoslavia on striking Modernist architectural lines following the 1947 Paris Peace Treaties, which confirmed the new border with Italy. This left the older settlement of Gorizia cut off on the Italian side from the new settlement in Yugoslavia. Nova Gorica (“New Gorizia” in Slovenian) burst into life.

Since 1948, Nova Gorica has grown into being the main urban centre of the Goriska region. Never strikingly negative despite the divisive geopolitics at play, relations between the two communities softened further after Slovenian independence in 1991, and in 2011 Nova Gorica joined its neighbour as part of a new cross-border metropolitan zone. The drive towards being heralded under the European Capital of Culture initiative for a year of joint celebration in 2025 has cemented these strengthening connections. Nova Gorica was already a remarkable place before this year. The influence of Italian culture, language and cuisine weaves its way across the border so you get a bit of both countries.