Professor Francesco Pira wins Mare Nostrum 2026 award

Francesco Pira, an associate professor of sociology of cultural processes at the University of Messina, has been awarded the first 'Premio Mare Nostrum 2026' in the journalistic articles category. The award is part of the sixteenth edition organized by the Euro-Mediterranean Academy of Arts, presided over by Professor Maria Teresa Prestigiacomo.

Pira received the recognition for his article titled 'Mediterraneo, la nostra frontiera morale' (Mediterranean, our moral frontier), published in the newspaper La Sicilia. The jury selected his work for its ability to depict current realities while offering a message of hope.

In response to the award, Pira noted that the Mediterranean has transitioned from a historical site of cultural exchange and commerce into a 'line of fracture' and a place of human mobility selection. He expressed his desire to see the sea treated as a bridge rather than a barrier. The award ceremony is scheduled for September 27, 2026, in Letojanni, Messina.