Discorsi Mediterranei Festival

A festival on rights and migration in the Capo di Leuca

Discorsi Mediterranei is a traveling festival held in the Capo di Leuca, the southernmost tip of Puglia, which features the town of Patù, in the province of Lecce, as one of its main stops. The event addresses the themes of human rights, migration, and international solidarity through an intersectional lens, connecting the shores of the Mediterranean, the Sahel, and the Global South. Its stated goal is to share stories and highlight territories often reduced to stereotypes, giving a voice to journalists, writers, activists, and artists.

Palazzo Romano, the heart of the Patù stop

The Patù leg of the festival is hosted within the Palazzo Romano, a 17th-century historic residence linked to the figure of Liborio Romano. For one weekend, the palace's courtyard and halls become a space for encounter and debate, featuring book presentations, public dialogues, exhibitions, and musical performances. Its location in Patù, a village overlooking the most authentic side of Salento and just a stone's throw from Santa Maria di Leuca, underscores the festival's Mediterranean vocation.

A multidisciplinary program

Each edition weaves together different languages to discuss current events and human rights:

• Talks and presentations with journalists, writers, and scholars addressing colonialism, systemic racism, and new narratives on migration;
• Photography and multimedia exhibitions dedicated to the borders of the Mediterranean, the Sahel, and contemporary humanitarian crises;
• Workshops for children and teenagers, designed to introduce younger generations to themes of inclusion and intercultural dialogue;
• Concerts and DJ sets that blend the sounds of Salento with those of the southern Mediterranean shore.

A community project

The festival is promoted by the associations Arci Cassandra Aps and Narrazioni Ets, in collaboration with the Institute of Mediterranean Cultures and a network of universities, NGOs, and third-sector organizations. Born as an offshoot of the Armonia literary festival, Discorsi Mediterranei complements its public events with school workshops and international cooperation projects, particularly in Guinea-Bissau. All events are free of charge and open to the public, in line with the festival's spirit of solidarity and participation, bringing a piece of the cultural debate on the contemporary Mediterranean to Patù and the rest of Puglia.