Santa Margherita Talks Summer Edition: the first edition of the series comes to a successful close
The three events, dedicated to health and wellbeing, geopolitics and contemporary art, were well attended and drew an engaged and enthusiastic audience. The series, organised by *Il Sole 24 Ore* in collaboration with the Municipality of Santa Margherita Ligure, Team for Santa and the Hoteliers’ Association of Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino, has established itself as a new benchmark for cultural dialogue and high-quality public engagement.
The first edition of Santa Margherita Talks – Summer Edition has come to a highly successful close. Discussions on culture, finance and current affairs, the series of events organised by Sole 24 Ore in collaboration with the Municipality of Santa Margherita Ligure, Team for Santa and the Hoteliers’ Association of Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino, under the patronage of the Liguria Region.
“The event on 4 September dedicated to contemporary art – comments the Mayor of Santa Margherita Ligure, Gugliemo Caversazio – brought to a close a series of three events through which, moving from the themes of meditation to those of geopolitics, we have restored Piazza Caprera’s role as a space for meeting, socialising and debate; and we have done so in the best possible way, under the direction of an institution such as Il Sole 24 Ore. It is a series we wish to continue with the aim of establishing Santa Margherita as a key location in the Italian cultural debate: an ambitious, yet realistic, objective”. From June to September, Piazza Caprera was transformed into an open space for discussion and in-depth exploration, welcoming locals, tourists and enthusiasts to engage with some of the most significant issues of our time. The programme confirmed the value of public dialogue as a means of gaining knowledge, offering opportunities for reflection that successfully combined authoritative content, accessibility and participation.
The programme kicked off on 20 June with the event ‘Experiencing Summer through Wellbeing, Breathing and Mindfulness’, featuring the naturalist and biologist Daniel Lumera, in conversation with Radio 24 presenter and health expert Nicoletta Carbone, in a discussion focusing on mental wellbeing, mindfulness and practices to improve quality of life, covering neuroscience, meditation and breathing techniques.
The second event, on 25 July, explored the major changes in the international landscape through a discussion on the themes of geopolitics and the future of Western democracies. The guest of honour for the evening was the renowned scholar of international politics Vittorio Emanuele Parsi, author of the book Against Empires. The Future of Our Democracies in the New World Order, who was interviewed by the Deputy Editor of *Il Sole 24 Ore* Daniele Bellasio.
The festival drew to a close on 4 September with the event ‘Shaping the Gaze: Contemporary Art, Public Space and the New Generations’, which brought together Ambra Castagnetti, Sarah Cosulich, Emilio Gola and Claudia Mainardi, moderated by the journalist Adelaide Marchesoni, for a discussion on the role of contemporary art as a means of interpreting the present and a catalyst for cultural and social participation.
