The events of the Bancarella, the Eastern Adriatic Book Fair, have begun. After stopping at the Turin International Book Fair and Librixia, the Brescia Book and Culture Fair, in 2025, it is now taking place within the Barcolana Village on Riva III Novembre in Trieste.

This edition is being held in collaboration with the Egea Ecomuseum in Fertilia, the museum dedicated to the Julian-Dalmatian exodus and named after Egea Haffner, the little girl with the suitcase "Julian Exile No. 30.001," immortalized in the iconic photograph of the exodus. The events were introduced by Renzo Codarin, President of the National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia, and Mauro Manca, Director of the Egea Museum. They took the opportunity to review the latest significant initiatives undertaken to raise awareness of the history of the Adriatic border and to consolidate collaboration between Istrian, Fiume, and Dalmatian exile associations and the native Italian community in the eastern Adriatic. This latter aspect is also a focus of the work of the People's University of Trieste, which has joined the Bancarella stand with its own space presenting publications and initiatives developed in collaboration with Italian institutions in Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. Alghero's Councilor for the Environment then spoke, highlighting the historical and cultural importance of the hamlet of Fertilia for the renowned Sardinian tourist destination. Fabio Tognoni, vice president of the Association of Istrian Communities and the Federation of Istrian, Rijeka, and Dalmatian Exiles' Associations, delivered a message of greeting, appreciating the initiatives and enthusiasm of the working group working on the Aegean Museum.

The first book presentation of the exhibition was held in Fertilia, and the Multimedia Documentation Centre of Julian, Istrian, Rijeka and Dalmatian culture also contributed to its creation. Fertilia between inclusion and rebirth (Panoramika, Alghero 2024) is the richly illustrated publication by Mauro Manca on the history of one of the last cities to be founded, which welcomed hundreds of Julian-Dalmatian refugees alongside the initial nucleus of settlers from Ferrara and the Veneto. The first Istrians arrived aboard a fleet of fishing boats with which they had initially abandoned Istria, occupied by Communist Yugoslavia, taking refuge in Chioggia. From there, they departed in the spring of 1948 on an adventurous journey across Italy to the village on the northern outskirts of Alghero, Sardinia. There, Don Francesco Dapiran, a priest from Orsara, awaited them. He had identified this place, still with few inhabitants and offering employment opportunities in fishing and agriculture.

These are the events scheduled for today, Friday, October 10th

15:00 pm School and the history of the Adriatic border.

16:00 PM Presentation of Alessandro Cuk's book "The Cinema of the Adriatic Border 1945-2025."

17:00 PM Presentation of Marco Tessarolo's documentaries that the Association of Istrian Communities has dedicated to Istria.

18:00 PM Presentation of the Race of Remembrance

Finally, we remind you that as part of tomorrow's events, Saturday, October 11, at 10:00 a.m., the Minister of Labor and Social Policies, Marina Elvira Calderone (daughter of an Istrian exile), will be present. She will receive the FertiliArt Award, sponsored by the associations participating in the Fertilia.org project (CCN, Associazione EGEA, ANVGD, Comitato di Quartiere, and EGIS) to recognize individuals from civil society or institutional representatives who, with their commitment and dedication, have contributed to raising awareness of the history of Fertilia and its surrounding area.