Escola Europea celebrates 20th anniversary in Italian ports

The Escola Europea de Short Sea Shipping is celebrating its 20th anniversary through a series of commemorative events across Mediterranean port cities. In Civitavecchia, Italy, the institution inaugurated the Areté Gardens and a steel sculpture at Pier 18. The sculpture is designed to symbolize the connection between Civitavecchia and Barcelona, two major Mediterranean cruise ports. During the visit, a memorandum of understanding was renewed with the Municipality of Civitavecchia to enhance the “Rome Port Academy” training project.

The anniversary celebrations continued in Palermo at Molo Santa Lucia, where the third Areté commemorative sculpture was unveiled. This sculpture is oriented toward Genoa, mirroring a network of artworks in Barcelona, Civitavecchia, and Genoa that face one another across the Western Mediterranean. The event, hosted by the Western Sicilian Sea Port System Authority, included the presentation of Areté Excellence awards and highlighted the growing maritime cooperation between Sicilian and Genoese ports.