The new issue, entitled Mediterranean. Mare Nostrum, is the first of four editions planned for 2026 and dedicated to the Mediterranean theme. It is part of the broader journey of Matera Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026, also supported by the Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019. The tenth issue of S-Catenati. Beyond the mistake, the periodical created with inmates of the detention centre of Matera and promoted by the association Disma ODV, was presented at the Conference Hall of the Chamber of Commerce of Matera.

At the center of the event was the contribution of Rita Orlando, Director General of the Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019, who highlighted the cultural and symbolic value of the project within the “Terre Immerse” programme of Matera 2026. In collaboration with the Foundation, the editorial team chose to bring the cultural debate surrounding Matera 2026 into the prison itself, transforming the theme of the Mediterranean into a space for dialogue, storytelling and shared reflection. During the event, Domenico Sabella, Director of the Matera Prison, also spoke, emphasizing the need to transform the prison’s geographical centrality into a cultural centrality, capable of generating reflection on the role of the penitentiary institution and on paths of inclusion.

The presentation also illustrated the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Department of Penitentiary Administration and the National Council of the Order of Journalists to promote journalism training programmes within Italian prisons. The agreement also includes the donation of around 100 digital devices to prison editorial teams, including the newsroom of S-Catenati.

Rita Orlando, Director General of the Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019, who also contributed to the issue’s editorial, underlined how “prison is one of the clearest images of what a border represents.” “Terre Immerse, the programme for Matera 2026 Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, starts precisely from there: from the attempt to overturn those borders and bring to the surface places and voices that often remain unseen. Immersed places, like the Mediterranean that crosses the inland territories and reaches this city without passing through the sea.”