Italy and Türkiye are celebrating 170 years of diplomatic relations this year, and the cultural backing behind that milestone is more tangible than usual. Writing ahead of a visit to Türkiye, Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli sets out a joint heritage agenda that should be on the radar for anyone planning a trip to either country.
The flagship of the cooperation is archaeology. Italian scholars are currently working on 15 excavation missions across Turkish territory, four of them at UNESCO World Heritage sites. Hierapolis, the vast Greco-Roman spa city above the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, is the symbol of the partnership: Italian teams have run continuous digs there since 1957, making it one of the longest-running foreign excavation projects anywhere in Türkiye. Giuli and Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy are co-opening the 17th Archaeology Conference at the site, dedicated to the Italian contribution to that research.
The exchange runs in both directions. Last June the two ministers inaugurated "Troy and Rome" at the Colosseum in Rome, an exhibition tracing the mythical link between Aeneas's flight from Troy and the founding of Rome. It has already drawn more than 2 million visitors — and it is a neat prompt for travellers to visit Troy itself at Çanakkale, where the legendary city's ruins overlook the Dardanelles.
There is also a new reason to add a day or two to any Istanbul itinerary: during his visit, Giuli is presenting a curated route of emblematic places that highlight Italian art and ingenuity in the city. Istanbul and İzmir have long hosted an active Italian and Levantine community — merchants, architects, musicians and artists — and the governments are laying the groundwork for fresh cultural agreements and initiatives. History buffs may already know the connection: in the early years of the republic, Atatürk commissioned Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica, whose monuments helped shape the visual identity of the new Turkish state.
Why does this matter for travellers? Because state-level cultural cooperation usually translates into better-restored sites, new walking routes and headline exhibitions — the kind of things that turn a good trip into a memorable one. Pamukkale-Hierapolis remains one of Türkiye's most rewarding day trips from the Aegean coast, Troy pairs easily with Gallipoli, and Istanbul's Italian traces add an unexpected layer to a city already stacked with Byzantine and Ottoman sights.
