In the narrow, salt-aired alleys of Pirano, where the Adriatic laps against ancient stone walls, the act of speaking a poem has become a quiet form of diplomacy. This May, the coastal town in Slovenia served as a focal point for the 20th edition of “Palabra en el Mundo” (Word in the World), an international poetry festival that treats verse not merely as art, but as a strategic tool for peace and cross-border brotherhood.
The event, hosted at Casa Tartini, marks the fourth consecutive year that the Self-managed Community of the Italian Nationality (CAN) of Pirano has organized the gathering. In a region historically defined by shifting borders and linguistic tension, the session functioned as a living laboratory for coexistence, blending Italian, Slovenian, and the local Istro-Venetian dialect into a single, shared emotional space.
For a journalist who has spent years documenting the friction of diplomacy in conflict zones, there is something profoundly necessary about the “Palabra” approach. While official treaties are signed in sterile rooms by politicians, this festival operates on the belief that peace is built from the bottom up, through the “universal force” of poetry and the recognition of shared human vulnerability.
From Havana to the Adriatic: A Global Network
The scale of “Palabra en el Mundo” is vast, operating as a decentralized network rather than a single centralized event. What began in 2002 as an initiative within the Havana International Poetry Festival—driven by founders Tito Alvarado and Gabriel Impaglione and promoted by the Spanish magazine Isla Negra via the “Proyecto Cultural SUR Internacional”—has evolved into a global phenomenon.
Today, the project spans nearly a thousand locations across 75 countries, with manifestations occurring in 47 different languages. The Pirano session was one of approximately 3,000 events planned worldwide, illustrating how a localized reading in a modest Istrian town is connected to a larger, invisible web of literary activism.
| Metric | Festival Scope |
|---|---|
| Global Reach | 75 Countries |
| Linguistic Diversity | 47 Languages |
| Total Events | ~3,000 Manifestations |
| Participating Localities | ~1,000 Cities/Towns |
A Linguistic Bridge in Pirano
The atmosphere at Casa Tartini was defined by an interdisciplinary approach, where the spoken word was woven together with music. The readings were moderated by artistic director Enzo Santese, whose own texts added to the evening’s reflections. The event opened with a welcome from Andrea Bartole, president of the municipal CAN, grounding the global initiative in the specific cultural soil of the Italian minority in Slovenia.
The diversity of the performers mirrored the festival’s intent to erase boundaries. The “Palabra piranese” session featured a wide array of voices, including:
- Poets and Readers: Roberto Dedenaro, Ondina Lusa, Roberto Maestri, Eleonora Marangi, Marino Maurel, Vanja Pegan, and Tjaša Stanič.
- Visual Arts: Alexandra Mitakidis, who not only read poetry but also designed the official logo used across all festival sites this year.
- Musical Accompaniment: Paolo Di Giorgio on guitar and Marsell Marinšek on the accordion, providing a sonic backdrop that bridged the gap between rhythmic verse and melody.
A poignant moment occurred via streaming, as the audience offered a heartfelt applause to founder Tito Alvarado, linking the Istrian coast to the project’s original roots in Cuba and Spain.
Poetry as a Counter-Narrative to Conflict
The recurring theme of the Pirano gathering was the tension between memory and the future. Local poets explored images of a “nostalgic Pirano,” searching for its origins while simultaneously celebrating the ability to overcome differences in daily coexistence. In an era of escalating global tensions and polarized discourse, the festival positions poetry as a “punctual antithesis”—a space where nuance is preserved and the “other” is heard without judgment.
By focusing on values such as the love for nature, mutual respect, and the appreciation of diversity, “Palabra en el Mundo” attempts to move beyond the superficial. It suggests that when people share a poem in their native tongue, they are not just communicating information, but are sharing a piece of their identity, which is the first step toward genuine peace.
The event in Pirano serves as the opening act for a series of regional celebrations. The festival’s momentum will continue to move through the Istrian peninsula, with upcoming sessions already scheduled to take place in Koper (Capodistria) and Grisignana.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on the role of art in diplomacy in the comments below. How can cultural exchange mitigate political conflict in your region?
