Venue

The conference will take place in Palermo, the capital of the autonomous insular region of Sicily, in southern Italy. Palermo, founded in 734 BC by Phoenicians, is one of the top tourist destination in the mediterranean area. Due to its unique position at the crossroads of Roman-Latin, Byzantine-Orthodox and Arab-Islamic culture, Palermo is worldwide known for its history, architecture and cultural heritage, heavily influenced by strong interactions with multiple different cultures. In particular, the "Arab-Norman Palermo", listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, includes nine unique civil and religious structures dating from the Norman Kingdom of Siciliy (1130-1194). 

The school will take place in the "Sala Lanza" of the Orto Botanico (Botanical Gardens) of the University of Palermo, founded in 1789. Orto Botanico is a beautiful garden with an extension of around 10 hectares, located in the heart of the city, close to the sea.

The most distinctive aspect of this wonderful garden is its vast range of species which, dominated by Mediterranean,  tropical and subtropical plants, has been integrated over time with many types of exotic flowers. 

Palermo is also known for a very lively street food scene and for its stable and sunny mediterranean climate. Typical temperatures in September-October are in the 18-25 degrees range.