Presentation of the Book “Nor Arax and the Armenians in Bari: In National and Foreign Media (1924–1962)” 19 ottobre 2026
Centenary of Bari’s Historic "Nor Arax" Village: Armenia’s Honorary Consulate Host Day of Cultural and Institutional Events on October 19
BARI, ITALY — To mark the centenary of the founding of the "Nor Arax" Village—a landmark symbol of the Armenian presence in Apulia’s regional capital—the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Armenia in Bari will host a full day of cultural, historical, and institutional events on Monday, October 19, 2026.
Main Event: Book Presentation at Palazzo della Città (6:30 PM)
The highlight of the day will take place at 6:30 PM in the “E. Dalfino” Council Chamber of the Municipality of Bari (Palazzo della Città), with the official launch of the new volume:
Nor Arax and the Armenians in Bari: In National and Foreign Media (1924–1962)
Co-authored by journalist Siranush Quaranta and Prof. Carlo Coppola.
Spanning over 250 pages, the book analyzes a vast press archive covering nearly four decades—from the aftermath of the First World War to the post-WWII era. Drawing on Italian and international media reports along with a rare, mostly unpublished collection of archival photographs, the authors rigorously trace the origins and evolution of the Armenian community in Bari up to the passing of poet Hrand Nazariantz.
Program & Speakers:
Institutional Welcome: Vito Leccese, Mayor of Bari; Gegham Adamyan, First Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Italy.
Keynote Presentation: Co-authors Siranush Quaranta and Prof. Carlo Coppola.
Moderator & Panelist: Mimmo Mazza, Editor-in-Chief of La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, in conversation with Dario Rupen Timurian, Honorary Consul of Armenia in Bari and co-creator of the initiative.
Musical Interlude: Performance by Maestro Marco Misciagna.
Morning Academic Conference at University of Bari (9:30 AM)
The centenary celebrations will open at 9:30 AM in the Aldo Cossu Auditorium (Aula Magna) at the Palazzo Ateneo of the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” with the symposium:
“The Armenian Village of Nor Arax in Bari: A Centenary Looking to the Future”
The morning session is organized by the Department of Political Science at the University of Bari alongside the Interuniversity Research Center for “Geopolitics and Politics of Religions” (chaired by Prof. Roberta Santoro), in collaboration with the Armenian Consular Representation in Bari.
BOOK LAUNCH SPOTLIGHT
New Volume Reconstructs the History of Bari’s Armenian Refugee Village Through 38 Years of International Press
Co-published under the patronage of the Honorary Consulate of Armenia in Bari, Nor Arax and the Armenians in Bari: In National and Foreign Media (1924–1962) is the first comprehensive, annotated press review dedicated to the village.
Founded in the 1920s through the tireless efforts of poet Hrand Nazariantz and Italian authorities, Nor Arax was built to shelter survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Through contemporary newspaper reports, Quaranta and Coppola detail the village's founding, daily life, and evolution, highlighting its lasting legacy as a model of integration, refuge, and intercultural dialogue between Apulia and the Armenian people.
About the Book:
“This work sheds light on a long-overlooked chapter: the 20th-century Armenian presence in Bari and the Nor Arax village—a cornerstone of both local history and Armenian diaspora identity in Italy. It ensures that those who came before us endure, held alive both in the physical memory of this place and through the stories written about them.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Siranush Quaranta is an Italian-Armenian freelance journalist, essayist, and property owner within the Nor Arax village. She holds three Master’s degrees in Peace Ethics from the University of Bari “Aldo Moro.” Her research focuses on the history of Nor Arax, 20th-century Armenian diaspora photography, and the Byzantine-era Armenian presence in Bari. She serves as a volunteer advisor and press officer for the Honorary Consulate of Armenia in Bari.
Carlo Coppola, PhD (Varese, 1979) holds a doctorate in Italian Studies and teaches literature at CPIA 1 Bari “Alessandro Leogrande.” A specialist in the history of Armenians in Southern Italy since 2001, he co-founded the Hrand Nazariantz Study Center. His publications include Gli armeni in Sicilia (2020) and a critical edition of Henry Barby’s In the Land of Terror (2016). Since July 2024, he has served as Advisor for General Affairs to the Honorary Consul.
