by InTrieste
At 11 a.m. on Friday, April 12th, the University of Trieste will host a ceremony conferring the Honorary Master’s Degree in Law upon President Sergio Mattarella of Italy and former Slovenian President Borut Pahor. The prestigious event will take place in the Great Hall of the University, located in Piazzale Europa. The timing of the ceremony was confirmed by the administration of the Julian Athenaeum.
This occasion holds significant symbolic value, marking a commemoration four years after the joint visit on July 13, 2020, when both leaders participated in ceremonies returning Narodini Dom to Trieste’s Slovenian community. Additionally, they paid respects at Basovizza, where they shook hands at the Shrine of the Victims of the Foibe and the monument honoring Slovenian partisans executed by fascists. These powerful gestures have since become emblematic of the reconciliation between the two nations.
The conferral of these dual honorary degrees serves as an opportunity to reaffirm a commitment to shared values and a future of peace, particularly poignant in a city like Trieste, which bears the scars of twentieth-century history. According to Rector Roberto Di Lenarda, this moment also marks the culmination of the University of Trieste’s century-long journey, as it continues to serve as a pivotal hub for dialogue and unity.
