In Pesaro the fifth edition of Ulissefest, the great travel party

When Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen decided to go to Australia from London following the “hippy route” through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Southeast Asia, they could have thought of everything except to become, thanks to that trip, the editors of the guides best known tourist destinations in the world. Fifty years have passed – it was 1972 – and now Wheeler, a mechanical engineer who thought as a young man of being a car designer, will tell the story of him and that of Lonely Planet, his publishing house, to UlisseFest, the travel festivalwhich will be held in Pesaro from 15 to 17 July next.

The review, presented today in Rome, reaches its fifth edition in a few days and, for the occasion, has chosen the city proclaimed the Italian Capital of Culture for 2024. 150 guests, 35 meetings, 10 workshops, concerts by Goran Bregovic and his Weddings and Funeral band, Africa Unitethe “Earthphonia” project by Max Casacci on stage with Telmo Pievani and the song theater of Valerio Corzani, Sara Jane Ceccarelli and Lorenzo De Angelis.

Many internationally renowned guests including: Tim Parks, Nicola Lagioia, Valeria Parrella, Cecilia Strada, Antonio Pascale, Filippo Santelli, Omar Di Felice, Paolo Di Paolo, David Monacchi, Sara Segantin, Pietro del Soldà, Valerio Nicolosi and many others.

Stories, performances and concerts to bring “the world to Pesaro and Pesaro in the world”, as explained by the director of Lonely Planet Italy Angelo Pittro. For three days you can fly with your imagination from the Arctic to Antarctica, from Tibet to the Kingdom of Bhutan, and again to China, Peru, Slovenia, Scotland, Japan, the Mediterranean, the Balkans and around Italy, between Marche, Umbria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Tuscany and Veneto.

“It is said that traveling, together with reading and listening is the shortest way to reach oneself” – comments Pittro – And that’s why we invited writers and musicians, journalists, photographers and content creators to Pesaro for our party that it will see together Italian and international guests sharing a great passion for travel. Three days (and three nights) of midsummer to finally meet again between readings and concerts, films, debates and workshops “.

“When a great event chooses our city we are always very proud – said the mayor of Pesaro during the presentation Matteo Ricci – Pesaro is a city that regenerates, connects and excites more and more visitors. After the last two years marked by the pandemic, there is a great desire to restart through the story of the strategic assets of territorial marketing: culture, music, sustainability and major events. Elements that combine perfectly in the UlyssesFest and fit into the path of the Italian Capital of Culture 2024 “.

The leitmotif of this edition of the festival is Listening to the Earth: respecting it, knowing how to grasp the signals it transmits to us, learning to know it and reduce the impact of our infinite travel. Great space, therefore, will be given to paths: the slow face of Tuscany in the name of well-being, Umbria with the itineraries linked to Perugino, of which in 2023 will be the 500th anniversary of his death.

But it will be possible to hear the stories of an incredible bicycle journey by the ultra cyclist Omar Di Felice just back from crossing the Arctic on two wheels to witness climate change. Still on the subject of climate change, the reportage by Sergio Ramazzotti, Parallelozero photojournalist, will take visitors to the opposite pole, with his work in Antarctica.

Space for the great travelers of the past, thanks to the journalist’s reportage Antonio Politano in the footsteps of Chatwin, Kapuscinski and Ella Maillart, whose 25th anniversary of his death is celebrated and which will be honored with a musical reading by Cristina Zamboni.

Still on the subject of celebrations, as mentioned, the meeting with Tony Wheeler, in dialogue with Paolo Di Paolo. And with them too Paolo Nugari, co-founder of Avventure nel Mondo, a reality that was born in the same year, becoming synonymous, for young Italians, with backpacking around the world.

Among the collaborations this year, the one with the National Gallery of Rome where the HOTSPOT exhibition will be inaugurated on October 24th, 30 artists from different continents who investigate the problems and conflicts of this planet, and propose a vision that attempts to build a critique ecological and social, trying to open new horizons to continue to inhabit the earth. As always, one of the most important ribs of UlisseFest will be the workshops, never so numerous (registration required here): different themes, from trekking to journalism, from social networks to photography and wine.