250 years after the founding of the Royal Colony of San Leucio, women’s leadership and cultural diplomacy come together in the Upper Vestibule of the Royal Palace of Caserta for the international forum “The Leucian Dialogue. Women, Diplomacy & Cultural Leadership,” organized for the first time by the Orizzonti Foundation specifically to mark the Year of Leucio and as a natural continuation of the values expressed in the “Caserta, City of Women” festival. On Wednesday, June 24, to mark the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, ambassadors, institutional representatives, and intellectuals will discuss the themes of equality, rights, and civic well-being. During the event, the prestigious “Leucian Honours” will be awarded.
The packed program will be moderated by journalist Iman Sabbah, deputy director of Rai’s Editorial Department. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a reception for officials and guests, followed by the main program at 6:30 p.m., featuring opening remarks by Giuseppe Menniti, president of the Orizzonti Foundation, and Giuseppina Castiello, Undersecretary of State at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
Following this, at 7:00 p.m., the event will proceed with three specific discussion sessions. The first, focused on “Cultural Diplomacy, the Global Voice of Women,” will feature conductor Beatrice Venezi. Next, for “Women in Diplomacy: Institutions, Global Relations, and Cultural Dialogue,” speakers will include Ida Caracciolo, full professor of international law and judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; Francesca Fazion, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Hamburg; H.E. Dalia Kreivienė, Lithuanian Ambassador to Italy; and Cécile Kyenge, former minister of the Italian Republic.
The third part, focused on “Women as Global Ambassadors: Science, Enterprise, and Social Impact,” will feature contributions from scientist and UNESCO Chair Annamaria Colao, Valentina Castellani, film producer and president of Quinn Studios Entertainment; Eduina Marino, president and CEO of Nippon Sanso Italia and vice president of the Central-Southern Region; and Lella Palladino, founder of the “Una Nessuna Centomila” Foundation.
This extensive forum for debate and interaction will lead up to the formal ceremony at 7:45 p.m., featuring the official presentation of the prestigious international “Leucian Honours,” honors specifically dedicated to prominent figures who have distinguished themselves on a global scale in the protection of human rights, the promotion of gender equality, cultural diplomacy, and the safeguarding of human dignity.
The event draws its inspiration from the history of the region. In 1776, while the global stage was swept up in the great political revolutions of the West, one of the most advanced social and community experiments of Enlightenment-era Europe was taking shape in the Kingdom of Naples. Ferdinand IV of Bourbon founded the colony of San Leucio, a social experiment based on core principles such as the dignity of work, universal education, merit, and social protection. The Leucian Code established extraordinarily innovative regulations, including full recognition of women’s role in society, equal access to education for both sexes, freedom of choice in marriage, and a vision of collective coexistence aimed at the happiness of its inhabitants.
