From July 4 to 20, 2025, Lecce will host a rich program of events, performances, and moments of reflection that interweave languages and knowledge from across the Mediterranean shores. The program, which unfolds across the historic center, university spaces, neighborhoods, and informal venues, is designed to engage a wide and diverse audience: from young people to families, from tourists to scholars, with a strong focus on inclusiveness and active participation of both local and international communities. The initiative is part of the official summer events calendar promoted by the Municipality of Lecce for the 2025 season, helping to enhance the territory through accessible and widespread cultural experiences.
The Festival is the result of a broad and well-structured network of partnerships: marionanni, Treccani Cultura Foundation, ASAL Student APS, the CMCC Foundation – Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, and TAP – Trans Adriatic Pipeline, lead supporter of the initiative, join the Municipality of Lecce and the Agency for the Euromediterranean Cultural Heritage in a shared project focused on quality, innovation, and sustainability. In synergy with public institutions, research bodies, and numerous cultural and scientific organizations, the Festival also involves businesses from the tourism, culture, and agri-food sectors. The shared goal is ambitious: to promote off-season tourism and strengthen the bond with local communities, making them active protagonists of the region.
In a time marked by growing divisions and conflicts, Armonie del Mediterraneo presents itself as a hymn to cultural peace, to the beauty of pluralism, and to the value of shared memory. Lecce—with its millennia-old history of exchange and hospitality—proves to be the natural home for a project that seeks to deepen the sense of belonging to a greater Euro-Mediterranean community.
The journey begins on July 4 at 7:00 PM at the Teatro Paisiello in Lecce, with a two-day event dedicated to marionanni, light artist and founder of the marionannischolé, titled scriverelalucedelmediterraneo (writing the light of the Mediterranean). The presentation of his school of thought and practice will be followed on July 5 at 7:00 PM by luceallopera (light at work), a true Lectio Magistralis on the “profession of the future”: becoming light writers. This event will take place at the University of Salento’s Rectorate Conference Hall, as an intergenerational dialogue on the meaning of light as a narrative, poetic, and professional tool—bringing to the stage not only light itself, but the art of illuminating the soul of things. Youth and members of Lecce’s foreign communities will also be involved in this journey, offering them the opportunity to explore the world of light-based professions—from marionanni’s advanced contemporary light design to the traditional Salento luminarie, which have shaped the region’s visual and cultural identity for centuries. This will not be just a moment of theoretical reflection, but a hands-on, participatory learning experience: an opportunity for practical learning, active inclusion, and generational transmission of a tradition that continues to light not only streets, squares, and celebrations, but also personal journeys, professional paths, and cultural connections. The event, endorsed by the University of Salento, will feature the participation of the Rector Prof. Fabio Pollice and the Mayor of Lecce, Senator Adriana Poli Bortone.
The journey continues on July 10 and 11 at 7:00 PM at the Ex Convento degli Agostiniani, with the Festival of the Mediterranean curated by Treccani Cultura Foundation, bringing together poets and musicians to reflect on the power of words as a tool of witness. On July 10, Albanian poet Gëzim Hajdari will engage in conversation with writer Angela Bubba, and the evening will conclude at 9:00 PM with a musical journey on the notes of Sabir, led by Stefano Saletti, Fabia Salvucci, and Giovanni Lo Cascio. On July 11, Syrian poet Nouri al Jarrah will be in dialogue with Monica Ruocco, followed at 9:00 PM by a musical reading, featuring the powerful voice of Teresa De Sio, accompanied by guitarist Sasà Flauto.
The festival will also highlight Voices from Albania, with two events centered on Arbëreshë and Shqiptarë culture. On July 13 at 9:00 PM, in the outdoor space of the Parish of San Giovanni Battista, Lecce in Festa will feature the Ansambli Vatra Jonë ensemble, alongside dancers and musicians from Taranto and Cosenza. It will be a popular celebration, open to the public, with traditional music and tarantellas. On July 20 at 7:00 PM, in the historic setting of the Ex Convento dei Teatini, a parade in traditional costume will open a reflective evening of memory: Maria Acierno’s book La chiesa greca a Lecce will be presented, followed by a conversation with scholars Mariella Agostinacchio and Pierfranco Bruni, and concluding with a comic theatrical performance in Arbëreshë language.
Sustainability will take center stage in three events curated by the CMCC Foundation – Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change. On July 17 at 7:00 PM, at the foundation’s headquarters in Via Marco Biagi, a conference will address climate change and strategies to face it in the Mediterranean context. On July 18 at 7:00 PM at Bar Astoria (Porta San Biagio) and July 19 at 7:00 PM at Il Barrito (Via De Mura), two Mediterranean Aperitifs will offer informal discussions on the future of the sea, food, and the environment in the region.
The first four events form the core manifesto of the Festival, curated directly by the Agency for the Euromediterranean Cultural Heritage, which conceived the project’s vision and manages its implementation. With its extensive experience across the Euro-Mediterranean area, the Agency has shaped a cultural pathway that turns Lecce into a permanent laboratory for international exchange and cooperation.
"Armonie del Mediterraneo is a project that speaks to both history and the future," says Senator Adriana Poli Bortone. "It is a collective call to culture as a bridge between shores, as a living place of exchange, growth, and respect. Lecce, with its millennia-old history, is the natural setting for this dialogue. I am proud to launch a festival that gives voice to memory and dignity to diversity, through the power of light, words, and knowledge. This is just the beginning of a journey that will make Lecce a true capital of the Mediterranean."
Armonie del Mediterraneo awaits you from July 4 to 20, 2025, across the squares, theaters, universities, and neighborhoods of a city that looks to the future with Mediterranean eyes. All events are free and open to the public.
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