Mediterranean Journalists Festival

Journalism telling its story in the square

The Mediterranean Journalists Festival is a cultural event that brings Otranto, in the province of Lecce, to life every early September in the heart of Salento and Puglia. Conceived by journalist Tommaso Forte and organized in collaboration with Nicola Fragassi, Leda Cesari, and Rosaria Bianco, in partnership with the Municipality of Otranto, the festival transforms Largo Porta Alfonsina—the square nestled between the Aragonese towers that mark the entrance to the old town from the sea—into an open-air agora where the craft of journalism is discussed aloud before the public.

Four days of meetings on the Mediterranean

For four evenings, reporters, newspaper editors, war correspondents, geopolitical analysts, institutional representatives, and voices from civil society take the stage to discuss the issues shaping the Euro-Mediterranean area: international crises, the safety and freedom of journalists, the right to report, censorship, the Blue Economy and the future of the sea, climate change, human rights, and current events. The approach is informative yet never superficial: the meetings bring together those who build the news on the ground, often in conflict zones, with an audience of citizens and tourists who crowd the square until late at night.

The Caravella del Mediterraneo Award

The central moment of each edition is the presentation of the Caravella del Mediterraneo Award, a recognition given to figures in journalism, civil society, and institutional, religious, and military sectors who have distinguished themselves in reporting on and defending the values of the Mediterranean. Over the years, the Caravella has been awarded to war correspondents, editors of major national newspapers, reporters under police protection, and figures engaged on the most critical fronts of current events.

Otranto, the Gateway to the East

The choice of Otranto is no coincidence: as Italy's easternmost city, overlooking the channel that separates it from the Balkans and Greece, it has been a natural bridge between Europe and the other side of the Mediterranean for centuries. Hosting a festival dedicated to the journalism that covers this sea here gives a geographical and symbolic meaning to the meetings. The festival offers free admission and is part of the summer event calendar that brings thousands of visitors to the Salento town every year.