In Italy, Millenium is generating remarkable enthusiasm, translating into a wealth of large-scale projects that mobilise both prestigious cultural institutions and grassroots community energy. The programme combines a strong historical and heritage dimension, with major exhibitions at iconic sites of Norman heritage, notably in Palermo at the Palazzo dei Normanni, in Monreale, and also in Bari and Melfi.
The launch of Millenium will be marked from July 2026 by the Feast of Saint Rosalia in Palermo, an emblematic event of the Sicilian capital, reimagined for the occasion through its Norman dimension. A figure of Norman origin who lived at the court of Roger II, Saint Rosalia embodies this historical link between the two territories. This event will serve as a prelude to the official celebrations, which will continue in autumn with a major inaugural event of strong symbolic significance.
This will take the form of a large-scale medieval historical re-enactment on the forecourt of the Palazzo dei Normanni, bringing together specialist Norman companies and local teams to stage this shared heritage between Normandy and Sicily.
It will also be the occasion for a major institutional gathering, bringing together the southern Italian territories involved in the project alongside the Normandy Region, thereby affirming the European dimension of Millenium and the living connection between these territories.
Within this framework, the touring exhibition of "the other tapestry" will also begin, the Pirou embroidery recounting the Norman conquest of southern Italy by the Hauteville family, in an exhibition that will also reveal the figure of Odon de Bayeux.
This momentum is part of a contemporary cultural and artistic programme, featuring festivals, performances and multidisciplinary events taking place at historic sites. It is also rooted in popular life, with major traditional and religious festivals, as well as in living artistic practices, such as the Infiorata di Noto, which will be dedicated to Millenium and its partner territories through floral creations inspired by Norman heritage, alongside gastronomic events celebrating local know-how.