At Museo Casa Alcide de Gasperi, young people reimagine the EU’s future
A Journey into the roots of Europe
Visions of Europe is a participatory journey through memory, critical reflection, and civic imagination. Designed for 18- to 29-year-olds connected to the city of Trento, the project invited participants to explore both the past and the future of the European Union, grounding abstract ideas in lived experience.
Following two preparatory meetings in late March, the group travelled from Marzabotto to the island of Ventotene from 3–6 April 2025. These places, rich in symbolic meaning, offered the backdrop for workshops, explorations and dialogue that connected the dots between history, identity, and European citizenship.
Memory as a foundation for citizenship
The journey began in Marzabotto, where participants visited the sites of one of the most tragic massacres of World War II, perpetrated by Nazi-fascist forces in 1944. This solemn experience rooted the group’s reflections in the real consequences of nationalist violence—past and present.
From there, the group embarked on what organisers called a ”laborious isolation” on Ventotene, the island where Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi and Eugenio Colorni penned the Ventotene Manifesto while imprisoned under fascism. This 1941 text called for a free and united Europe—and still inspires federalist thought today.
Learning by doing: co-creating European narratives
On the island, participants lived, walked and worked in the very spaces that shaped European ideals. The programme combined:
- A treasure hunt tracing European stories through the island’s streets
- Visits to Roman cisterns, the cemetery, and the S. Stefano prison
- Labs on European history, biographies of EU “founding mothers and fathers”
- A simulation workshop on drafting EU legislation
- Group reflections on today’s most urgent challenges for the Union
By living together and thinking critically in a historically charged environment, the young participants didn’t just learn about Europe—they lived its contradictions and promises.
From Ventotene to Trento: connecting memory to action
The journey doesn’t end on the island. On 12 April, the group continued their exploration with a historical walk through Trento, uncovering the city’s European legacy—from Alcide De Gasperi to Antonio Megalizzi.
And on Europe Day (9 May), they will present their proposals for future initiatives to the Trento municipal administration—offering their own visions for the EU’s future. The closing event will also include a public dialogue on modern nationalisms and a celebratory moment to honour their collective experience.
