Scientific meetings | The Mediterranean towns - Les villes méditerranéennes

The Institut d’Estudis Catalans [The Institute of Catalan Studies] (IEC) and the Institut Europeu de la Mediterrània [European Institute of the Mediterranean] (IEMed) have programmed, under the sponsorship of the International Union of Academies, and with the collaboration of their member academies, an international conference with a view to exploring the role played by cities in the Mediterranean world as decisive cores of civilisation throughout History. The conference aims to analyse the process of change from the ancient past through to the 20th Century in both settings (European and Africa) and on the two shores (western and eastern).

From a global standpoint that helps to address the challenges facing the area nowadays — the recent social and political events, and those ongoing in North Africa and the Middle East are an example —, the conference aims to provide a rigorously scientific view of the historical evolution of the Mediterranean cities, in the conviction that, in any era, the academic world must be involved in the critical analysis of contemporary reality. Analysing the causes and assessing the consequences is a task that the Academy cannot shun. The proposal for a weighted reflection, with a major chronological reach, on the role played by cities in the Mediterranean world in terms of civilisation, pacification and innovation is not only fitting, but rather even necessary.

The conference has been organised as seven conferences and debating modules that recap on different aspects of all stages in history, with an official opening session and a closing session. In view of the chronological and thematic extent, specific cases will be studied, although nevertheless they will also allow us to reach general conclusions. All the sessions will be led by highly-qualified experts.

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