Italian Festival of Philosophy students set off for Greece

(AGI) Athens, Mar 16 - Around 500 Italian high school students have left for Athens to attend the Festival of Philosophy in Magna Graecia. This year's theme is "Philia", meaning friendship, geared to stimulating dialogue and discussion. The travelling festival will take in the Acropolis in Athens, Delphi and Corinth. The organisers describe it as "an educational didactic exercise that enables participants to embark on an internal philosophical journey. The festival was conceived in ancient Elea, a symbolic place in western philosophy, and became a travelling event with activities in some of the most evocative cultural locations in the Mediterranean, such as Cilento, Velia, Naples, Metaponto, Matera, Otranto, Lecce, Syracuse, Noto and Bronte-Etna." Thousands of students from all over Italy have taken part in the festival since it began, uniting speculation and philosophical practice on a journey based on research and action, with walks, talks, competitions and workshops. Filmmaker Manos Kannavos is directing the walks, during which actors Maria Thrasyvoulidi, Athena Alexopoulou, Simeone Tsakiris, Stavros Bilios and Aggela Vagiona will perform in Italian and Ancient Greek. This is thanks to the translator Tzina Karvounaki and visual artist Cristos Konstantelos. Journalist Vera Damofli will discuss philosophy in an interview with Professor Salvatore Ferrara. Students from the Italian School in Athens will act as guides for the Italian high school students at the Acropolis Museum. The festival ends on Friday. (AGI). .