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Med-Or Italian Foundation: Fifth edition of Med-Or Day held in Rome featuring David Abulafia
On July 3rd, the Med-Or Italian Foundation hosted the fifth edition of Med-Or Day at its headquarters. This year’s event featured David Abulafia, Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean History at the University of Cambridge, as its distinguished guest speaker.
On July 3rd, 2025, the Med-Or Italian Foundation hosted the fifth edition of Med-Or Day at its headquarters in Rome. The highlight of the day was a conversation with Professor David Abulafia, one of Europe’s foremost historians, celebrated for his scholarship on maritime civilizations and his insightful interpretation of the Mediterranean as a dynamic space of exchange, encounters, and conflicts that have shaped global history. During the event, Professor Abulafia was interviewed by Paolo Valentino, editorialist at Corriere della Sera.
Author of foundational works such as The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean and The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans, Professor Abulafia provided an in-depth analysis of the central role the Mediterranean has played throughout the centuries: a crossroads of trade, religions, empires, and diverse cultural exchanges.
In the course of the dialogue, the professor emphasized how today, in an era marked by numerous geopolitical tensions, climate change, and migratory challenges, the Mediterranean has once again become a crucial focal point for the stability of the entire world, and above all, for fostering cooperation between Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Med-Or Day 2025 represented a significant opportunity to deepen these reflections from a contemporary perspective, bringing together academic, institutional, and business insights from both Italy and the international community. This initiative is part of the Med-Or Italian Foundation’s ongoing commitment to promoting dialogue, knowledge, and cooperation across the Broader Mediterranean region, with particular attention to Italy’s strategic role as a bridge between the two shores and among the three continents surrounding the “Great Sea”.
