Calendar

This prestigious honour is awarded to “persons who bring honour to the highest social, cultural and political ideals”. Personages honoured with the City Seal in previous editions of Dedica include Amin Maalouf, Vassilis Vassilikos, Assja Djebar, Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Anita Desai, Amos Oz, Nadine Gordimer, Paul Auster, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Cees Nooteboom, Wole Soyinka and Javier Cercas.

After the ceremony, prizes will be awarded for the works submitted by high-school students as part of the Words and images for Tahar Ben Jelloun project.

The City Seal
consists of a gate flanked by two golden crowns and opening onto the Noncello river. The gate represents the importance of the city as a river port providing rapid access to Venice and the Adriatic ports; the two crowns represent the judicial authority that was bestowed on the city. The gate opening onto the river is today the symbol of a city that is open to cultural exchange and new knowledge, on the basis of the respect and curiosity which must stimulate each citizen to discover his neighbour.