APCOM

The final countdown has officially started: seven days to go for the voting of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which is called to establish whether it will be Milano or the Turkish candidate, Izmir, to host the Expo 2015. The Italian entrants, headed by Mayor Letizia Moratti, are in Paris to show the 146 delegates of BIE what their city can offer.

Milano has chosen to base their events on the different aspects of culture, considered as the pivotal issue. Tonight art critic Vittorio Sgarbi is leading a tour guide in the Louvre Museum. After that, singer Paolo Conte is performing under the famous Pyramid, whose beauty is going to be exalted by spectacular plays of light and color. Culture is also culinary art: on Friday night, Italian cuisine will be interpreted by some of the most appreciated chefs, as Carlo Cracco. The dinner, which will be enriched with a surprise organized by the Triennale, will take place at Toit de la Grande Arche, the breathtaking space over the Defense whose panoramic viewpoint is known all around the world.

Finally, culture is synonym of fashion. On Sunday, the grand staircase of the Opéra House will be the stage of a show with the most precious and refined creations by 'the architect of fashion' Gianfranco Ferrè, a designer who was loved in France, since he was the style director of Dior. The concert of singer Elisa will close the intense schedule of celebrations preceding the voting, which is due to start on Monday at 4 p.m.. The verdict should be returned within 6 p.m. Milanesi, and Italians in general, are keeping their fingers crossed.