Med-Or Italian Foundation: The Fifth Edition of Med-Or Day with David Abulafia Held in Rome

On July 3rd, at the headquarters of the Med-Or Italian Foundation, the fifth edition of the Med-Or Day took place. The highlight of this year’s edition was David Abulafia, Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean History at the University of Cambridge.

At the core of the event was a dialogue with Professor David Abulafia, one of Europe’s foremost historians, renowned for his work on the history of maritime civilizations and his ability to interpret the Mediterranean as a space of exchanges, encounters, and conflicts that have shaped the course of global history. During the event, Abulafia was interviewed by Paolo Valentino, editorialist for Corriere della Sera.

Author of seminal works such as The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean and The Maritime History of the World: Four Millennia of Discoveries, Men and Routes, Abulafia provided an analysis of the central role the Mediterranean has played over the centuries: a crossroads of trade, religions, empires, and diverse cultural exchanges.

Throughout 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 focal point for global stability and, above all, for cooperation between Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Med-Or Day 2025 represented an important opportunity to deepen these reflections from a contemporary perspective, bringing together academic, institutional, and business perspectives from both Italy and the international community. This initiative aligns with the Med-Or Italian Foundation’s commitment to promoting dialogue, knowledge, and cooperation across the wider Mediterranean region, with particular attention to Italy’s strategic role as a bridge between the two shores and among the three continents that surround the “Great Sea.”