Brindisi has always been a city of arrivals and departures, a port on the Adriatic where history tends to pile up on the quayside. Among its public monuments, the War Memorial by Edgardo Simone is one many locals pass without stopping. This presentation, curated by Rosalba Iannucci, is a chance to slow down and really look.
A monument you thought you knew
Some landmarks become part of the furniture of a city. You cross the square, you glance at the stone, you keep walking.
An evening devoted entirely to Simone's memorial turns that glance into a conversation. The focus is on the work itself: its author, its meaning and the memory it was made to hold.
The setting: a neighbourhood house, not a lecture hall
The event takes place at the Casa di Quartiere Accademia degli Erranti, a community space in Brindisi. The name alone, which evokes wanderers, suits a city built on movement.
Expect an informal, welcoming atmosphere rather than a formal academic talk. It is the kind of room where questions are encouraged and where neighbours, curious visitors and history enthusiasts end up chatting afterwards.
What to expect from the evening
The presentation is guided by Rosalba Iannucci, who curates the discussion around the monument and the artist behind it. It is a cultural, reflective occasion rather than a spectacle.
- A closer look at the War Memorial and the sculptor who created it
- A local perspective on how public memory is shaped in Brindisi
- Space for questions and shared stories from the audience
- A relaxed, neighbourhood-scale setting that suits groups and families with curious children
Turn it into a Brindisi afternoon
Arrive early and let the city set the context. A walk along the lungomare and the old port helps you understand why a place of departures and returns carries so many memorials.
The historic centre is compact and easy on foot. You can pair the talk with a stroll past the Cathedral area or the Roman column that marks the end of the Appian Way, then finish with an aperitivo in one of the town's squares.
Why it is worth your time
Most visitors to Puglia chase beaches and baroque facades. This event offers something quieter: a look at how a southern Italian port city remembers its past.
If you follow the event's Instagram post before heading out, you can check any last-minute updates. Bring curiosity, and perhaps a notebook, because the best details tend to come up in conversation.