Go! 2025 honors Ungaretti and the Carso he lived through

Go!2025, approaching its official inauguration on February 8 with the Heads of State of Italy and Slovenia, honors Giuseppe Ungaretti in his dual "role" as soldier and poet on the Carso during World War I.

The exhibition, open until May 4, spans the Museo di Santa Chiara in Gorizia and the Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea in Monfalcone. The Gorizia section offers a complete narrative of Ungaretti's experiences on the Carso, detailing his battles, moments of rest behind the lines, leaves, and stories of the places on the Carso, highlighting their unique morphological features.

In contrast to Ungaretti's poetry, the material and iconographic works displayed at the scenographic and elegant Palazzo Attems Petzenstein showcase the iconic Andy Warhol Factory, which relocates from New York for the exhibition Andy Warhol Beyond Borders. This exhibit has seen an impressive number of visitors in its first week and visiting hours have been extended to accommodate the demand.

Overlooking both cities, designated European Capitals of Culture, is the castle, built in the 11th century and reconstructed in the 1930s in a circular shape. Protected by its ramparts, it is the most faithful architectural witness since the Middle Ages. It offers a vantage point to enjoy the panoramic view of the entire city and the Church of Sant'Ignazio overlooking the central and key Piazza della Vittoria.

From there, one can walk to Piazza della Transalpina, another place of great historical significance. In 1947, the border was drawn, splitting the square in half and constructing the Iron Curtain wall right in the middle, the only barrier in Italy. It was like Berlin, but in this case, it lasted longer—until 2004! Until 1954, barbed wire ran through, and the entrance to the train station was blocked.

The ceremony to open the first borderless European Capital of culture will occur there in two weeks.