Mediterranean readings

Holy places in the Mediterranean: between sharing and partition

20.10.2025

Artist
Dionigi Albera

As part of the ninth edition of

Mediterranean Readings
anthropologist Dionigi Albera (CNRS) presents a lecture entitled “Lieux saints en Méditerranée: entre partage et partition”.

On the occasion of the ” Shared Holy Places ” exhibition at Villa Medici, curated by Dionigi Albera, this lecture explores shared religious practices across the Mediterranean.

While the first decades of the 20th century saw a number of scholarly works focusing on relations between Christians and Muslims in the Ottoman Empire, it is only recently that the study of joint attendance at the same sanctuaries by worshippers from different traditions has received renewed attention. Numerous historical and anthropological studies show that these behaviors, repeated in many parts of the Mediterranean, at least partially blur the boundaries between monotheistic religions.

Dionigi Albera

Anthropologist and Emeritus Director of Research at the CNRS (Ideas, Aix-Marseille University), Dionigi Albera is a recognized specialist in “shared holy places” and mixed devotion in monotheistic religions. His works have been translated into many languages, and he has also curated several exhibitions.