2023 was the year of my encounter with the Cultural Capital, a year in which I not only had the opportunity to meet many nice and professional people, but also to work alongside them. Making the preparations for the Closing Gala, I tried to put their stories together and let myself be guided by the enthusiasm they all had for this extraordinary project. I am convinced that the imprint of Timisoara 2023 will be detectable in all forms and expressions of Romanian culture in the years to come.