Europe Project Week – Italian Festival of European Projects Launched, Scheduled at Fortezza da Basso from March 19th to 21st, 2026
Florence, July 17th, 2025. A new event with a strong international focus is set to animate the prestigious venue of the Fortezza da Basso: Europe Project Week – Italian Festival of European Projects, coming to Florence from March 19th to 21st, 2026.
The launch of the festival, promoted by Centro Studi Italiano di Ricerca e Sviluppo Open PM2 (a non-profit start-up), was announced yesterday during a press conference at Europa Experience – David Sassoli, the European Parliament’s representation space in Rome.
This is the first event entirely dedicated to the impact of European projects and to the communication of EU policies in an accessible, practical and participatory manner. A central feature of the festival will be the “Gallery of Regions”, a space where all Italian regions and metropolitan cities are invited to take part.
The event will cover 6,000 square meters inside the historic Medici fortress and will host 100 exhibitors and 70 speakers. Conceived by Vito Cellamaro, an expert consultant and trainer in EU project design since 1997 and founder of the European Register of EU Projects Designers & Managers, the festival aims to showcase funded projects and establish itself as a recurring annual gathering, bringing together diverse public and private stakeholders involved in EU project development (including public administrators, private organizations, universities, research centers, businesses, third-sector entities, associations, professionals and agencies).
“Europe Project Week is a dynamic, open platform,” stated Vito Cellamaro. “It’s a space we can fill together with meaningful content, fresh ideas and initiatives that make a difference. We welcome proposals from all interested stakeholders. We are living through a decisive moment for the future of Europe, which remains a vital point of reference. And yet, it is still too often perceived as distant, opaque and hard to understand. That gap is no longer acceptable. We now need a new narrative to rebuild citizens’ trust, foster a sense of belonging and democratic participation”.
The festival will feature four exhibition areas: Institutional Communication Area, to make EU actions at the local level more understandable; European Projects of Excellence – Made in Italy Area; Education, Skills and Employment Area, focused on training and job opportunities for young people and a strategic workspace in the Networking, Innovation and Community Area.