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9 May 2026 | Performance starts at 9.00 p.m.
Teatro Paisiello – Via Giuseppe Palmieri 83, Lecce
With Emanuele Trevi and Valter Malosti
Live music by Andrea Cauduro
10 May 2026 | 7.00 p.m.
Complesso degli Agostiniani – Via Michele De Pietro 10, Lecce
Lecture by Emanuela Bufacchi
Free admission, subject to venue capacity
On 9 and 10 May, Armonie del Mediterraneo – Viaggi, Miti e Ritorni welcomes FESTIVAL DEL MEDITERRANEO TRECCANI 2026 with two events presented within the Armonie in Dialogo strand of the Festival.
Curated by Fondazione Treccani Cultura ETS, both events form part of the wider programme of the 9th Festival Treccani della Lingua Italiana, taking place in Lecce from 8 to 10 May 2026 and dedicated this year to the theme of "dialogue".
On Saturday 9 May, at 9.00 p.m., Teatro Paisiello will host Psiche Mediterranea, a staged lecture featuring Emanuele Trevi and Valter Malosti, accompanied by live music by Andrea Cauduro.
Literature, performance and music come together to reveal the enduring power of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. The story, immortalised by Apuleius in The Golden Ass, becomes a journey into the depths of the human soul, exploring universal themes of desire, knowledge, loss and transformation.
A myth born along the ancient routes of the Mediterranean, it continues to speak powerfully to contemporary audiences.
Emanuele Trevi, writer, literary critic and recipient of the 2021 Premio Strega, together with Valter Malosti, theatre director, actor and visual artist, will give voice to a reflection that uses mythology to explore the human condition, its vulnerabilities and the universal search for identity.
On Sunday 10 May, at 7.00 p.m., the Complesso degli Agostiniani will host the lecture Mediterraneo: un mare di donne tra passaggi e narrazioni, delivered by Emanuela Bufacchi.
The event restores visibility and centrality to the women whose lives and experiences have shaped the history of the Mediterranean, many of whom have long remained on the margins of official historical narratives.
Through literary reflections, historical accounts and cultural perspectives, the lecture presents the Mediterranean as a space of crossings, shared memories and enduring relationships between peoples and civilisations.
Emanuela Bufacchi, Professor of Italian Literature at the Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples and Scientific Adviser to the Biographical and Thematic Dictionary of Women in Italy, combines academic expertise with an engaging public voice, offering an original perspective on the women whose often overlooked contributions have profoundly influenced the Mediterranean's cultural history.
Both events form part of the 9th Festival Treccani della Lingua Italiana, taking place in Lecce from 8 to 10 May 2026. This year's edition is centred on the theme of "dialogue", highlighting the importance of authentic and meaningful communication in both public and private life.
Entirely free to attend, the Festival offers a rich programme of lectures, conversations, presentations, workshops and performances, transforming venues across the city into spaces for discussion and cultural exchange over the course of three days.
Among the leading speakers are Massimo Bray, Director General of the Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, and Massimo Osanna, Director General of Museums at the Italian Ministry of Culture, who will discuss "Culture as a Space for Dialogue".
The programme also features Marcello Aprile, Alice Barale, Francesco Carofiglio, Debora De Fazio, Fabrizio Desideri, Maria Vittoria Dell'Anna, Antonio Gnoli, Chiara Mercuri, Paola Moscardino, Rocco Luigi Nichil, Nico Picone, together with Carolina Bubbico and Cristiana Verardo.
Both events also form part of Armonie del Mediterraneo – Viaggi, Miti e Ritorni, the cultural programme conceived and promoted by the Euromediterranean Cultural Heritage Agency in partnership with the Municipality of Lecce, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Tourism through the National Tourism Fund (FUNT) – Current Expenditure Programme 2025 (CUP F89I25002020001).
Together, these initiatives broaden the cultural journey of Armonie del Mediterraneo, bringing stories, myths and shared narratives back to the forefront. They celebrate the Mediterranean as a living cultural space where memories, traditions and ideas continue to travel across borders, generating new opportunities for dialogue, reflection and mutual understanding.
www.festivaltreccanidellalinguaitaliana.it
www.treccani.it/cultura
www.agenziaeuromed.it
https://www.agenziaeuromed.it/it/armonie-del-mediterraneo-viaggi-miti-e-ritorni/523
