Venue
The conference will take place in Palermo, the capital of the autonomous insular region of Sicily, in southern Italy. Palermo, founded in 734 BC by Phoenicians, is one of the top tourist destination in the mediterranean area. Due to its unique position at the crossroads of Roman-Latin, Byzantine-Orthodox and Arab-Islamic culture, Palermo is worldwide known for its history, architecture and cultural heritage, heavily influenced by strong interactions with multiple different cultures. In particular, the "Arab-Norman Palermo", listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, includes nine unique civil and religious structures dating from the Norman Kingdom of Siciliy (1130-1194).
Palermo is also known for a very lively street food scene and for its stable and sunny mediterranean climate. Typical temperatures in June are in the 20-27 degrees range, with less than 2 rainy days an average throughout the month.
The conference will take place at Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri, an ancient historical site comprising several buildings of high artistic and cultural interest, built between the fourteenth and the seventeenth century. Today, Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri is home to the Rector of the University of Palermo.
Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri is located in Piazza Marina 60, lying in the very heart of the historical city. Central Palermo can be easily reached from the airport by bus or train. The bus service provided by Prestia e Comandè runs every 30 minutes. The "Via Roma - Vucciria" bus stop is the closest to the conference site. Alternatively, a train service runs from the airport to Palermo Central Station, from which the conference site can be reached by a 15 minutes walk.