Sovereignty Foundation
The Venice
Symposium
Conference on Cultural Sovereignty
Dates
29 October to 1 November 2026
Location
San Servolo, Venice
Guests
By invitation
a visit to the
Biennale
di Venezia
Piazzetta San Marco: Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
Confirmed speakers
Prof. Frank Füredi
Sociologist and former Director of MCC Brussels
Prof. John Laughland
Director FvD International
Prof. Lorenzo Gasperini
Futuro Nazionale
Dr. Marc Jongen
Member of the European Parliament
Dr. Mihail Neamtu
Member of Romanian Parliament
Dr. Thierry Baudet
Member of the Dutch Tweede Kamer
Dr. Nathan Cofnas
Ghent University
Alvino-Mario Fantini
The European Conservative
Lorenzo Bernasconi
Machiavelli Center for Political and Strategic Studies
Ronald Gläser
Member of the German Bundestag
Luca Steinmann
Journalist
Jan A. Karon
Journalist and Author
Your Host
Dr. Alexander Sell
President of Sovereignty Foundation
Invited guests
Cultural politicians and leading figures of the cultural sector from across Europe, together with authors, publishers, artists, filmmakers, cultural managers, academics and journalists. Each invitation code is valid once. If you cannot attend, you may name a substitute.
Programme
A keynote address, eight lectures and two panel discussions across two full conference days, together with a guided visit to the Biennale Arte and three evening formats. The working language is English; interpretation is provided.
The Italian case
Italy is at present the one major European country in which conservative cultural policy is government practice rather than a matter of debate. Conversations with Italian cultural institutions and cultural policymakers bring the experience of that practice into the programme.
Programme
The shape of
the four days.
A keynote address, eight presentations and two panel discussions, plus a joint visit to the Biennale d’Arte. The detailed schedule follows with the final invitation.
1 ×
Keynote address
Speaker to be confirmed.
8 ×
Presentations
Contributions from across the European cultural sector — literature, film, the visual arts, museums, festivals and cultural funding.
2 ×
Panel discussions
Participants to be confirmed. The Foundation welcomes recommendations.
1 ×
Biennale d’Arte
A joint visit to the exhibition.
Registration
Register with
your code.
Registration runs entirely on the Foundation’s own infrastructure. There is no external ticketing platform.
- Each invitation code works once and is blocked afterwards.
- All guest data stays on a server in Germany, GDPR-compliant.
- The fee of €300 covers accommodation and catering on San Servolo. Participants under 30 pay €150, with proof of age at check-in.
- Travel costs are reimbursed up to €500 per person on presentation of receipts.
Rooms still available: 40 of 104
Invitation code
No code yet?
The symposium is by invitation only. If you would like to attend but have not received an invitation code, send us a short request. The Foundation’s office will get back to you by email.
Questions
Good to know.
I have not received a code.
Please request one with the code request form above. Your request goes directly to the Foundation’s office. Codes are issued personally, and we can reissue one if your invitation has gone astray.
Can I name a substitute?
Yes. If you cannot attend, you may name a substitute yourself, no later than 22 October 2026. The substitute registers through the form on this page with the same invitation code and takes your place under the terms of participation. Please also let the Foundation know at info@sf-foundation.eu.
When does the symposium begin and end?
Check-in on San Servolo opens on Thursday, 29 October, at 14:00. The welcome reception begins at 18:30, followed by the opening and the keynote at 19:15 and dinner at 20:30. Friday and Saturday are full conference days. Saturday afternoon is given over to the Biennale Arte, and the evening is at leisure. Sunday, 1 November, is a departure day with no programme: breakfast is served from 08:00, and guests leave at their own convenience.
Plan your flights so that you reach the island by 18:00 on Thursday and depart at any time on Sunday.
How do I get to San Servolo?
San Servolo lies in the lagoon opposite St Mark’s Square and can only be reached by water. The last stage is always the same: ACTV public waterbus line 20 from San Zaccaria, pier B, which is the only direct connection to the island and takes eight minutes. Tickets for ACTV lines are available at actv.avmspa.it; if you intend to travel in the city as well, a daily or multi-day pass is worth considering.
I am flying into Venice. What is the best route?
Two options from Marco Polo airport, both ending at San Zaccaria.
The simpler one is the Alilaguna shuttle boat, which leaves from the pier at the airport. Take the Blue Line to San Zaccaria; the crossing takes about an hour. Tickets and timetables at alilaguna.it. From San Zaccaria, walk to pier B and take line 20.
The cheaper one is by land: ACTV bus line 5 or an ATVO coach to Piazzale Roma, about 20 minutes, then vaporetto line 2, 4.1 or 5.1 to San Zaccaria, about 40 minutes, then line 20.
Allow roughly two hours in total from landing to the island. On Thursday, 29 October, line 20 leaves San Zaccaria at 15:10, 15:40, 16:30, 17:10; for the reception, the 17:10 departure is the one to aim for.
I am arriving by train.
Vaporetto lines 1, 2, 4.1 and 5.1 leave Santa Lucia station for San Marco / San Zaccaria roughly every ten minutes. At San Zaccaria, walk to pier B and take line 20 to San Servolo.
I am coming by car. Where can I park?
Cars cannot enter the historic centre, so you park on the mainland side and continue by water.
The nearest car parks are at Piazzale Roma: Garage San Marco (garagesanmarco.it) and the Autorimessa Comunale, bookable through veneziaunica.it. From there, take vaporetto line 2, 4.1 or 5.1 to San Zaccaria, about 40 minutes, then line 20.
The alternative is Tronchetto, bookable through Interparking. From Tronchetto, line 2 reaches San Zaccaria in about 30 minutes, then line 20.
Both car parks are multi-storey and fill up quickly in high season. Book your space in advance.
Can I take a water taxi?
Yes. A private water taxi will take you from the airport or anywhere in Venice directly to the island. It is considerably more expensive than the public lines. Fares are published at veneziaturismo.net; bookings on +39 041 2402711. The reception desk on San Servolo also arranges water taxis, which is useful if you are pressed for time on the day of departure.
How are travel arrangements treated?
The participation fee covers your accommodation on San Servolo, all meals during the conference, admission to the Biennale Arte and the transfers that form part of the programme. Your journey to Venice and back is booked by you. We reimburse travel costs against receipts up to 500 euros per person; the form reaches you after the conference, and receipts must be with us by 8 November 2026.
How is my data handled?
All registration data is stored on a server in Germany and is used only for the organisation of this conference.
Who do I contact on site?
The mobile number you give during registration is used for on-site coordination only. You will receive a contact number with your confirmation.
The Venice Symposium
A European conference on cultural sovereignty, hosted by the Sovereignty Foundation ASBL.
By invitation only.
Foundation
Sovereignty Foundation ASBL
Avenue Marnix 13–17, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Company number BE 1026.036.801
Contact
© 2026 Sovereignty Foundation