I met Silvio Ziliotto during a guided tour in Milan; we are both members of the historic association of licensed tour guides “Centro Guide Milano” https://www.centroguidemilano.net/ , of which I have proudly been a member for over twenty years. We immediately connected, not only on a professional level but also thanks to his overwhelming energy and his expertise in multiple fields: journalism, teaching, interpreting and translation, and his deep knowledge of the Balkans.
After attending, a few years ago, the presentation at the Teresiana Library in Pavia of his in-depth study dedicated to the greatest Croatian writer of the twentieth century, Miroslav Krleža — “The Sentinel of the Small People. The Story of Miroslav Krleža, the Man Who Lived Seven Lives” — I had the idea of inviting him to the library of my neighbourhood, Pavia Est, to discuss his latest work, “Daytonska Stanica”.
The starting point of the book is the Dayton Agreement, the treaty signed on 14 December 1995 that brought an end to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav conflicts. Silvio’s text is a reflection on a subject that has now faded into the margins of our collective memory, inspired by the countless situations and people encountered throughout the Balkan life of my colleague and friend.
Often, in fact, some wars end only on paper, in treaties. And there are territories that remain suspended, trapped in a peace that does not truly exist. “Daytonska Stanica” is a journey through the Balkans and Europe’s suppressed memory, among the scars left by the wars of the 1990s and the questions that still remain unanswered about our present.
The meeting will offer an opportunity for reflection and discussion on war, peace and collective responsibility, as well as the chance to listen to the engaging story of a passionate and inspiring individual, who brings the same energy to speaking about the Balkans as to describing the city of Milan, where he works as a licensed tour guide.
The event will take place on
The event will take place on Saturday 24 January 2026 – at 5.30 pm, at the Pavia Est Library – Via dei Pollaioli 30.
