Caserta—Today, Monday, February 23, at 5:30 p.m., in the prestigious setting of Palazzo Wedekind—Sala Angiolillo, the official presentation of the International Festival “Caserta, la città delle donne” (Caserta, the city of women) will be held. This is a cultural project of national and international scope that aims to focus on the historical, social, and economic role of women in the construction of contemporary communities.
The meeting will be attended by:
- Giuseppe Menniti, President of the Orizzonti Foundation
- Hon. Carlo Nordio, Minister of Justice
- Hon. Eugenia Maria Roccella, Minister for Family, Birth Rate, and Equal Opportunities
- Lella Golfo, President of the Bellisario Foundation
The moderator will be Nicola Porro, journalist and television presenter.
The Festival was created in Caserta as a symbolic, cultural, and identity-affirming act, rooted in one of the most advanced and forward-looking chapters in European history. It was in this very region, in fact, that more than two centuries ago, with the Codice Leuciano promulgated in the Royal Colony of San Leucio, legal equality between women and men was established for the first time in the world.
This was not a theoretical declaration, but a principle that was applied in practice: women were placed at the center of an integrated productive, social, and economic system based on the dignity of work, education, participation, and shared responsibility.
This innovative model produced extraordinary results, transforming San Leucio into a unique example of civil and industrial progress, capable of anticipating many of the modern achievements in terms of rights and inclusion by more than two centuries.
This historic achievement has given rise to the “Caserta, City of Women” Festival: a project that aims not only to celebrate female excellence in various areas of society—institutional, economic, cultural, and scientific—but also to promote broad and concrete reflection on the present and future of women’s rights, opportunities, and leadership.
The initiative aims to build a bridge between memory and vision, between the historical heritage of a territory that has been able to anticipate change and the contemporary challenges that require new models of inclusive and sustainable development.
In this sense, the Festival aims to be not only a moment of celebration, but also a space for discussion, planning, and awareness, capable of restoring the centrality of women’s contribution as a driver of innovation, social cohesion, and economic growth.
