The lapidary question "Can't we live off culture?" was attributed a few years ago to a well-known Italian minister. However, in the countries of the European Union, which for centuries have done everything possible to make art, history and heritage a feature of their identity, culture can and must be not only a lever for civil and democratic growth, but a strategic factor for sustainable economic development, a possible key, after the pandemic and its health and social consequences, to begin writing the next chapter, with a broad and inspired view. As the author himself points out: "Investing in culture is not only a constitutional duty, but a great economic opportunity." This book is both a manifesto of ideas and a travel diary by the former Italian minister Dario Franceschini, one of the most charismatic political leaders in Europe. A journey that puts us before the challenges of the cultural industry in Europe to ratify its need as a provider of quality of life, a guarantee of the Welfare State and an economic engine, providing an assessment of the difficulties encountered, open questions and ideas for the future.