Mario Mignone's vision of the Mediterranean

From 12 to 14 November 2015, the Center for Italian Studies at Stony Brook University sponsored the international conference ‘The Idea of the Mediterranean’. Organized by Mario B Mignone, the conference brought together 20 scholars from North America, Europe and the Middle East to explore the concept of viewing the Mediterranean as an autonomous unity – a recognizable object of thought that transcends geopolitical, cultural and religious differences and conflicts. Professor Mignone's introduction to the proceedings of the conference, published in 2017, forms the basis of this article. Mignone's insights into the contribution of the invited scholars and his own perspective are essential to understanding why the Mediterranean identity has been marginalized by the US and Northern European powers, which view it as merely an ‘intractable’ region of the world. At the same time, it is undeniable that a singular Mediterranean identity cannot be found. The Mediterranean is indeed a sea of differences.