European Capitals of Culture handover ceremony held in Athens

The official handover of the title of European Capitals of Culture 2023 to Elefsina in Greece, Timisoara in Romania and Veszprem in Hungary took place Monday here at the Acropolis Museum.

The three cities took over the title from Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg), Kaunas (Lithuania) and Novi Sad (Serbia), which held it for 2022.

"Each Capital of Culture highlights the uniqueness of our cultures and our wider common cultural identity," said Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas when addressing the handover ceremony, which was attended by representatives of the European Capitals of Culture 2022 and 2023 and other officials,

European Capitals of Culture, initially named as the European City of Culture, have been designated since 1985, aiming to highlight the richness and diversity of cultures in Europe, boost cultural exchanges, and increase European citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area.

The first title holder was Athens and 60 cities across Europe have so far been awarded the title.

Elefsina, located about 21 km west of Athens, is the fourth city in Greece to hold the title.