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The History of the Dialoghi

From the long-standing activity of the recognized cultural association La Maria del Porto APS in promoting cultural debate through a series of projects involving schools, universities, readers, and especially through the “Progetto Lettura” (Reading Project)—launched in 1994 and featuring major names in contemporary literature—the festival I Dialoghi di Trani was founded in 2002, with the contribution of publisher Giuseppe Laterza. Its aim was to foster cultural tourism in Puglia as a key driver of local economic development.

I Dialoghi affrontano tematiche fondamentali per la società contemporanea:

The festival promotes cross-fertilization between different artistic languages and forms of expression, actively involving young people with the aim of fostering active and responsible citizenship.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Over the years, I Dialoghi has grown thanks to prestigious collaborations, including:

Awards and Recognition

L’Associazione culturale riconosciuta “La Maria del Porto” APS-ETS ha ricevuto per i Dialoghi di Trani importanti riconoscimenti istituzionali e culturali:

  • The High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic for the editions from 2002 to 2010
  • Targa del Presidente della Repubblica per il decennale (2011) e medaglia di rappresentanza per le edizioni 2012–2017 e per il ventennale (2021)
  • The 2009 Award from the Centre for Books and Reading (Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities) for “the best national initiative promoting books and reading”
  • The Gutenberg Prize 2013, awarded by the Italian Book Association
  • Patrocinio della Commissione Europea – Rappresentanza in Italia (2013)
  • In 2024, the Puglia Archival and Bibliographic Superintendency declared the Association’s archive to be of particularly important historical interest

In addition, together with two other festivals, I Dialoghi helped establish the national network “Piazza Dante” and represented Italy at the Italy–Spain Book Forum held at the Italian Cultural Institute in Madrid.

A Recognized Cultural Heritage

The archive of the association La Maria del Porto has been declared of particularly important historical interest by the Puglia Archival and Bibliographic Superintendency, in accordance with the Italian Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape.