CMCC Meets the Citizens of Lecce for the Second Event of “Armonie del Mediterraneo”
After the well-attended opening evening on July 17 at the CMCC headquarters—where discussions focused on climate, water resources, and future scenarios for the Mediterranean region—the Armonie del Mediterraneo series continues with its second event, organized by CMCC – the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change. This time, the format and atmosphere change with the first of two Mediterranean Aperitivi.
On July 18 at 7:00 PM, CMCC steps out of its institutional setting to meet citizens in a more relaxed and informal context: Bar Astoria, near Porta San Biagio, in the heart of Lecce. Here, “The Sea to Come” (Il mare che verrà) will take place—a Mediterranean Aperitivo designed to open a shared conversation with the public about the future of the Mediterranean Sea, bridging science, technology, and everyday life.
CMCC researchers Gianandrea Mannarini and Federica Stella Blasi will guide the audience through an engaging story about a changing Mediterranean: a sea threatened by warming, acidification, and loss of biodiversity—but also a dynamic ecosystem where new ocean observation and simulation technologies are transforming our ability to understand, protect, and manage its resources.
The Mediterranean, long a crossroads of navigation and exchange between continents, is now a fragile frontier—its currents shifting, invasive species spreading, and pressures mounting from maritime traffic, fishing, and economic activity. Yet not everything points to dystopia: advanced forecasting models and high-resolution simulations now offer unprecedented tools to manage shipping routes, safeguard marine ecosystems, and respond in real time to complex phenomena.
This won’t be a traditional conference, but an open, accessible, citizen-friendly gathering—where science speaks a clear, direct language in an informal and convivial atmosphere. Because climate change concerns us all, and knowledge is the first step toward facing it together.
The event marks the second of three meetings organized by the CMCC Foundation – Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change within Armonie del Mediterraneo, a program promoted by the City of Lecce with the scientific and organizational support of the Agency for the Euromediterranean Cultural Heritage. In the heart of Lecce’s summer, environmental sustainability takes center stage, giving voice to science within a program that weaves together art, ideas, and civic participation. The goal is to provide the tools to understand ongoing transformations and imagine a possible future for the Mediterranean.
On Saturday, July 19 at 7:00 PM, the final event will be held at Barrito, on Via Francesco de Mura 67. This time, the focus will turn to the earth—both as a tangible and symbolic element—in a meeting titled “Our Soil: Food and Fire in the Mediterranean Region.” The discussion will be led by CMCC researchers Gabriele Pizzileo, Malik Aljabu, and Shahbaz Alvi.
The three events organized by CMCC from July 17 to 19 as part of Armonie del Mediterraneo are designed to address climate change in an integrated way. The Mediterranean is an interconnected, complex system, and it is crucial to act in a coordinated manner across multiple fronts—water, sea, and soil—by connecting scientific knowledge, public policy, and civic participation.
This “climate hotspot,” despite challenges such as droughts, wildfires, storm surges, biodiversity loss, and climate-induced migration, also offers vital opportunities for innovation, adaptation, and cooperation.
The series explores environmental sustainability as a concrete and urgent issue—one that directly affects quality of life, the health of ecosystems, and the future of communities. The CMCC Foundation is committed to bringing to Lecce an integrated vision of climate research, merging science, technology, and policy to create a space for dialogue and awareness—turning scientific knowledge into shared culture and collective engagement.
From this same vision comes the Armonie del Mediterraneo program, which is much more than a sequence of events: it is a living cultural laboratory, where diverse languages—music, theatre, science, and critical thinking—intertwine to shape a shared idea of the future. In a time defined by speed, uncertainty, and fragmentation, Armonie del Mediterraneo chooses listening, depth, and dialogue among disciplines. It invites everyone not to remain mere spectators, but to participate actively in a story that belongs to us all.
Because the Mediterranean to come is not yet written. It depends on us.
All events are free to attend until capacity is reached.
For more information:
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