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CEI at Mittelfest Festival opening in Cividale del Friuli (Italy)

The official opening of the Mittelfest Festival - scheduled from 16 to 24 July - took place in Cividale del Friuli (Udine/Italy) on Saturday, 16 July 2016.
 
This year, the Festival is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. To mark this special edition, the Mittelfest Association, the Autonomuos Region Friuli Venezia Giulia and the CEI have organised this event in order to exchange views on “Signals from the European Observatory. Between Concern and Hope: Culture as an Instrument for Dialogue and Integration”.
 
The topic was introduced by a lectio magistralis from the journalist and author Paolo Rumiz.
 
Welcome speeches were delivered by Federico Rossi, Mittelfest President, Franco Calabretto, the artistic director, and the Mayor of Cividale del Friuli, Stefano Balloch.
 
The participants were also addressed by the President of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia, Debora Serracchiani, and CEI Deputy Secretary General, Erik Csernovitz.
 
Representatives of several CEI Member States contributed to the debate with their views on the changes occurred over the last 25 years and the current challenges. All participants pointed out the key role of culture in promoting dialogue and integration.
 
A sightseeing tour in Cividale del Friuli, an extraordinary UNESCO world heritage site, was organised for the CEI guests. In the evening, they attended the premiere of the chamber opera “Menocchio” in Piazza Duomo.
 
The Mittelfest Festival was held for the first time in 1991 in the framework of the Pentagonal Initiative (today’s CEI).
 
  •  Photo gallery available here 
  • Press release (Italian only) available here

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