Almost 220 events are planned in Sibiu during the upcoming months to celebrate the title. The first one took place at the start of the year when President Traian Bsescu and Prime Minister Clin Popescu-Triceanu opened a new wing of Sibiu's Astra library, founded in 1861 and moved to its current location in 1905. The government and local council have spent RON 17.5 million to renovate the library, with the local council paying for most of the project.
After the inauguration ceremony, the Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra performed and Groupe F from France put on a pyrotechnics show entitled "Night of the Comets". The English pop singer Chris Norman closed the evening.
The programme to kick off Sibiu's European Capital of Culture year cost almost EUR 600,000, with the local council paying for about EUR 500,000 of this. The government, however, has paid EUR 30 million to refurbish the centre of Sibiu and another EUR 13 million to make improvements at the city's airport, Prime Minister Triceanu noted.
Among other events on Sibiu's programme for 2007 are two exhibitions. Sibiu's Historical Museum has opened an exhibition entitled "Sibiu, a European Town", showing the town's history between the 14th and 19th centuries. The exhibition also features photographs of Sibiu's annual international theatre festival. The city's Brukenthal Museum is showing new paintings by Dumitru Gorzo.
The entire programme of events can be seen at www.sibiu2007.ro
Sibiu Mayor Klaus Johannis said the he expects the events of 2007 to draw many more tourists, both Romanian and foreign, to the city.
More large-scale cultural events will start in the spring, head of the Hungarian Cultural Office of Sibiu Levente Serfőző told Új Magyar Szó, a Hungarian language daily published in Romania.
Some 60 events highlighting Hungarian culture - Sibiu is home to many ethnic Hungarians - will take place as part of a programme called Ars Hungarica. The programme will include performances by the Pécs Theatre and Győr Ballet from Hungary.
Serfőző expressed concern, however, because only a fraction of the EUR 250,000-300,000 cost of Ars Hungarica has been covered so far, and private sponsors have expressed little interest in supporting the programme.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
