X Giornata Mondiale della Lingua Ellenica

**WORLD GREEK LANGUAGE DAY πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἔρος**
*Food and Drink in the Greek Language and Culture*

The University of Salento, in collaboration with the Hellenic Community "San Nicola di Myra" and the municipalities of Grecìa Salentina, under the patronage of the Greek University Council (CUG), the Greek Embassy in Rome, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (General Directorate for Public Diplomacy and Greeks Abroad), and the Honorary Consulate of Greece in Brindisi, celebrates the 10th World Greek Language Day. This occasion offers an important opportunity to deepen, value, and reflect on the richness of the Greek language and culture, an invaluable heritage for European history and identity.

The main event will be held on February 10, 2025, at the Studium 2000 Complex (Room 7), featuring a study day dedicated to the theme: πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἔρος (Food and Drink in the Greek Language and Culture).

The meeting will explore the role of food and drink in daily life and Greek civilization, not just as biological necessities but also as symbols of identity, values, and traditions.

The day will conclude with a commemoration in honor of Prof. Adele Filippo, a professor of Greek Language and Literature at the University of Salento, recently passed away, who for years was a promoter and organizer of the World Day at the Salento University.

**Program of the day (February 10, 2025)**

9:15 AM - Institutional Greetings

- Fabio Pollice, Chancellor of the University of Salento
- Maria Grazia Guido, Director of the Department of Humanities
- Marcello Aprile, Coordinator of the Ph.D. program in "Languages, Literatures and Cultures and their Applications"
- Natascia Pellé, President of the Degree Courses in Letters

10:00 AM - Presentations

- Michele Napolitano (University of Cassino): The Greek Symposium: A Microcosm of Rules
- Maria Elena Della Bona (University of Salento): "The Sweet δίαιτα". Food and Health in Ancient Greek Medicine
- Elena Urso (University of Salento): Μηδὲν ἄγαν: Balance between Sport and Nutrition in Ancient Greece
- Daniela Scardia (University of Salento): Better a Plate of Vegetables (Prv. 15,17): A Christian Banquet
- Enrico Cerroni (University of Salento): Banquet Diplomacy. Nuances of Byzantine Hospitality in the Comnenian Era

12:00 PM - Tribute to Adele Filippo

- Alessandra Manieri (University of Salento)

The event will be live-streamed at http://tiny.cc/LinguaGreca2025 (Facebook Page: /GiornataMondialeLinguaEllenicaSalento).

On March 27, 2025, at the Rectorate, Piazza Tancredi 7, Lecce, at 9:00 AM, the concluding event of the World Greek Language Day will take place. During the meeting, the works created by students from participating schools will be presented, selected by the evaluation committee composed of:

- Pietro Giannini, Professor Emeritus, University of Salento
- Natascia Pellé, President of the Degree Course in Letters, University of Salento
- Katia Cataldi, Hellenic Community "San Nicola di Myra," Brindisi
- Leo Luceri, Foreign Languages Teacher
- Gianni Schilardi, Publisher of the Publishing House "Argo"

The selected projects, created by students from Classical High Schools and Comprehensive Institutes of Grecìa Salentina, will be compiled into a publication dedicated to the 10th Day, which will be distributed in collaboration with Liceo Docet (5th edition).

Simultaneously, artistic-cultural events and thematic initiatives focusing on the preservation of Griko, the dialect of the Hellenophone area of Salento that retains significant traces of the Greek mother tongue, will be held in the municipalities of Grecìa Salentina.

Participation in the activities of the World Greek Language Day counts as professional development for teachers, is recognized as PCTO for high school students, and allows the acquisition of 1 CFU for students in degree courses in Letters.

The organizing committee consists of Saulo Delle Donne and Alessandra Manieri (University of Salento), Maria Theodoridou (Hellenic Community "San Nicola di Myra"), Francesca Licci, and Salvatore Tommasi (Grecìa Salentina).

The scientific references are Marcello Aprile, Alessandro Capone, Saulo Delle Donne, Adele Filippo, Francesco Giannachi, Alessandra Manieri, Onofrio Vox.