Exactly 800 years ago, during the fifth crusade, Francis of Assisi travelled to the sultan al-Malik al-Kamil in a city on the Nile Delta known as Damietta. Seen from a modern-day perspective, the meeting had an extraordinary prophetic significance: it was not merely a meeting between two men, but representative of an important moment of dialogue between two cultures and two religions locked in bitter conflict. This episode is the inspiration for the eleventh edition of the Franciscan Festival 2019, being held in Bologna between 27 and 29 September, on the theme “Through Words - Attempts at Dialogue”.

Thanks to the contribution of hundreds of volunteers and the support of the event’s sponsors, including Cattolica Assicurazioni, the aim is to establish links between Franciscan values and current issues through a rich programme of events. Piazza Maggiore in Bologna will be the venue where people will be invited to meet, tell their stories and get to know each other thanks to the power of words. Though there will be many paths for dialogue, the heart of the debate will focus on the relationships between science and ethics, man and the environment, different religions, Christians and atheists, but also distant and different cultures, such as Europe and China.

To find out more about the event, please visit www.festivalfrancescano.it.