At the Yacht Club de France, during a dinner organized by the Académie Franco-Hellénique de Diplomatie Culturelle, Jacques Rougerie offered an intellectual and cultural journey across the Mediterranean, weaving together memory, culture, and the future of coastal living environments.
In a speech dedicated to the history of travel in the Mediterranean, he described this sea as a “cradle” — a cradle of civilizations, trade, artistic circulation, and a unique way of inhabiting the world. Far more than a geographical space, the Mediterranean emerges as a constellation of islands and cultures connected through continuous dialogue — one of the earliest cultural networks in human history.
In the presence of Marine de Carné, Ambassador of France to the International Maritime Organization, and Georgios Koumoutsakos, Ambassador of Greece to UNESCO, Jacques Rougerie emphasized that this region remains strategically significant in light of contemporary environmental challenges. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, demographic pressures, and tourism dynamics place the Mediterranean at the heart of the climate issues redefining our coastal living environments.
He also addressed the underwater world — this “third dimension” still largely unexplored — noting that humanity knows more about the surface of the Moon than about the seabed of its own Mediterranean. A call to look beyond the surface, to deepen scientific knowledge, and to fully integrate marine environments into resilience and territorial planning strategies.
Following his address, Amine Lehna presented the work of the Jacques Rougerie Foundation – Académie des beaux-arts, detailing the projects it supports across five continents. He highlighted the work carried out with Junior Ambassadors and laureates of the International Architecture and Innovation Competition, who are actively designing sustainable coastal living environments rooted in the geographical, cultural, and social realities of their territories.
This dialogue between long-term vision and concrete action reflects the Foundation’s approach: transforming cultural and historical reflection into operational momentum serving the resilience of island and coastal worlds.
The Foundation extends its sincere thanks to Giorgia Kouvela for her invitation and commitment to Franco-Hellenic dialogue, as well as to all distinguished guests for the depth and quality of the discussions.
The Mediterranean was a cradle. It remains today a strategic laboratory for imagining and building the coastal living environments of tomorrow.