Patrimoni del Mediterraneo: Communities, Alliances, Shared Horizons
Annual Conference and General Assembly of ICOM Italy
📍 Bari, Italy | 17–19 April 2026

“What is the Mediterranean? A thousand things at once…” – Fernand Braudel

The ICOM Italy Annual Conference 2026 will take place in Bari, bringing together museum professionals, researchers, and cultural stakeholders from across Europe and the Mediterranean region to reflect on the evolving role of museums in shaping participatory narratives of cultural heritage.

Focusing on the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion, the conference explores how museums contribute to building connections between local communities and a shared, transnational perspective. In a region marked by deep historical stratifications and long-standing exchanges, cultural heritage becomes a powerful medium for dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding.

Through keynote speeches, plenary sessions, and thematic discussion tables, participants will engage with key topics such as:

• museum narratives and collective imaginaries
• transnational cooperation and cultural alliances
• digital tools and intangible heritage
• sustainability and cultural landscapes
• the role of museums in times of crisis and conflict

Ten years after the ICOM General Conference in Milan, this event renews the focus on “Cultural Landscapes,” highlighting museums as spaces of mediation, interpretation, and encounter—capable of fostering dialogue between past and present, territories and audiences, and diverse cultural perspectives.

The programme includes keynote lectures, participatory discussion sessions, and networking opportunities, as well as guided visits to the cultural heritage of Bari and its surroundings.

Simultaneous translation in English will be provided for the main sessions.

👉 Registration is now open  https://www.icom-italia.org/mediterranean-heritage-communities