After the success of Lecce in Festa and the enthusiastic participation in the 13 July event at the outdoor space of the San Giovanni Battista Parish, the Voci d’Albania festival returns to Lecce for its final act. On Sunday, 20 July, the evocative Chiostro dei Teatini hosts music, words, and stories, transforming into an ideal bridge between East and West, between two shores of the Adriatic that share roots and memories.
The evening, titled TRA ORIENTE E OCCIDENTE. LA CULTURA ALBANESE NEL CUORE DI LECCE -(“Between East and West: Albanian Culture in the Heart of Lecce”), invites the audience to discover and celebrate the Arbëreshë culture through a journey of music, theater, poetry, and firsthand testimonies. The ancient convent becomes a place where history and emotion intertwine, where the Albanian community of Salento shares its identity and passes down generations of memory.
The evening begins with a striking visual: at 6:30 PM, a parade in traditional Arbëreshë attire departs from the Greek Church to reach the Chiostro dei Teatini. The procession turns the streets of Lecce into a vivid and sonorous story, honoring the millennial identity of the Albanian communities in the region.
Next is the theatrical performance Shpia e vjetër e fituar (The Old House Rented Out), in Arbëreshë, presented by the Arbëreshë Cultural and Tourist Association “Vorea” from Frascineto (Cosenza). With irony and delicacy, the play explores memory, identity, and the connection to home as a symbol of family, guiding the audience through emotions and traditions under the direction of Imma Guarisci.
The evening continues with the presentation of the book La Chiesa Greca a Lecce. A Treasure of Eastern Christianity (Argo Editore, 2025). The author Maria Acierno is joined in dialogue by Mariella Agostinacchio, art historian and cultural communicator, and Pierfranco Bruni, expert in Mediterranean cultures, exploring the roots and significance of this precious heritage.
Music then takes center stage with Meli Hajdëraj performing O Moj e Bukura Arberi – Oh, my beautiful Albania and Lule Lule Mazza Mazza, Arbëreshë songs blending nostalgia, vitality, and beauty. Irma Duka’s elegant dance accompanies the performances, transforming melodies into an intense and emotional choreographic dialogue.
The evening concludes with the ensemble from the Association Rrënjët te tona of San Marzano (Taranto), presenting traditional sounds, ancestral songs, and distinctive rhythms, while Dorina Sulko weaves the narrative thread, connecting languages, memories, and cultures with elegance and sensitivity.
Among the attendees, Prof. Arjan Vasjari, Consul General of Albania in Bari, highlights the cultural and diplomatic ties between Albania and Italy, adding further prestige to the event.
This evening marks the closing of the Armonie del Mediterraneo festival, promoted by the Municipality of Lecce with the scientific support of the Agency for Euro-Mediterranean Cultural Heritage and the support of TAP – Trans Adriatic Pipeline. From 4 to 20 July 2025, Lecce comes alive as a crossroads of arts, knowledge, and communities, reaffirming its vocation as a bridge city connecting Mediterranean cultures.
With Armonie del Mediterraneo, the city becomes the beating heart of a Mediterranean that listens, welcomes, and intertwines memories, turning culture into dialogue, cohesion, and shared beauty. It is not only a festival, but an experience that unites voices, traditions, and territories in a single, boundless harmony.
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