TIRANA, Sept. 22 /ATA/ – The second edition of Arbëria Digital Fest will be held in the Arbëresh communities of Carfizzi, Pallagorio and San Nicola dell’Alto in Calabria, southern Italy, from Oct. 23 to 25, bringing together culture, tourism, innovation and digital communication around the region’s Albanian heritage.
Held under the slogan “Preserve, Attract, Create”, the three-day festival will feature panel discussions, artistic events, podcasts, workshops and other activities across the three communities, with a focus on turning Arbëresh cultural heritage into opportunities for local development.
One of the festival’s main venues will be “Muzé – Spazio Arbëria” in Pallagorio, with activities also taking place in Carfizzi and San Nicola dell’Alto. Organisers said the communities would be presented not as isolated realities but as part of an interconnected area sharing a common identity and vision.
The programme will focus on three main areas: territorial marketing and tourism, relations with Albania and Kosovo, and innovation. Organisers said the Arbëresh language, traditions, collective memory, gastronomy, art and landscape could serve as resources for new projects, tourism experiences, partnerships and local economic activity.
Among the artistic initiatives is “OPEN ARBËRIA”, a public art project by Arbëresh artist Michele Giudicissi. The project will transform the doors of homes into artistic and narrative surfaces featuring words, symbols, images and memories from the local community. It will also include activities and workshops for children and young people.
The festival will also feature “Arbëria Digital Fest OFF”, a programme of visits, workshops, music, art and gastronomy taking activities directly into the communities.
For younger audiences, “Arbëresh Remix” will combine traditional Arbëresh songs with contemporary music in a performance by Calabrian DJ Giovanni Salerno. Musicians Enzo Iovine and Pietro Curci, as well as storyteller Rocco Marco Moccia, will also take part.
Another part of the programme will focus on “POP ARBËRESH”, a podcast featuring stories and voices from Arbëresh communities. A special episode will be recorded during the festival, bringing together participants from the three-day programme and connecting different generations, territories and experiences.
Organisers said the festival was intended to generate projects and partnerships extending beyond the three-day event, strengthening links among Arbëresh communities, Albania, Kosovo, the wider Balkans and the diaspora.
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