Palermo's Cultural Renaissance: Mayor Leoluca Orlando on Art, Migration, and Urban Transformation
Mayor Leoluca Orlando asserts that Palermo, once notorious as the mafia stronghold, has evolved into a center for culture and a beacon of human rights. In 2019, the city welcomed the Biennale Arcipelago Mediterraneo (BAM) after being named the Italian Capital of Culture in 2018 and hosting Manifesta 12. With over 35 years in office across six terms, Orlando emphasizes Palermo's UNESCO World Heritage designation and its growing popularity among tourists. He contrasts the city's welcoming nature with Italy's stringent migration laws, referencing the 2015 Palermo Charter. By granting residency to refugees, he believes he upholds constitutional values. He notes the city’s safety, aided by its Muslim community, and highlights its hosting of Southern Europe's largest Gay Pride event, while advocating for a degree in Mobility Sciences.
Key facts
- Palermo hosted Biennale Arcipelago Mediterraneo (BAM) in 2019.
- BAM is an international festival of theater, music, and visual arts.
- Palermo was Italian Capital of Culture in 2018.
- Manifesta 12 took place in Palermo in 2018.
- Palermo is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Arab-Norman history.
- Mayor Leoluca Orlando has been elected mayor six times over 35 years.
- Orlando grants residency to refugees in potential violation of the Security Decree.
- Palermo hosts the largest Gay Pride in Southern Europe; 2018 theme combined migration and homosexuality.
Entities
Artists
- Shilpa Gupta
- Alfredo Jaar
Institutions
- Biennale Arcipelago Mediterraneo
- Manifesta
- UNESCO
- Fondazione Merz
- Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze
- Università degli Studi di Palermo
- Artribune
Locations
- Palermo
- Italy
- Sicily
- Mediterranean
- Europe
- Africa
- Middle East
- New York
- Paris
- Beirut
- Tripoli
- Catania
- Messina
- Trapani
- Ragusa
- Heidelberg
- Berlin
- Brussels
- Milan
- Cernobbio