400 years since Galileo’s first astronomical observations using a telescope and 100 years since the birth of Futurism, the 9th Italian Language in the World Week was opened today at the Foreign Ministry in Rome. The theme this year is Italian creativity in art, science and technology. 2009 has also been designated by the European Commission as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, and is the UN’s “International Year of Astronomy”.
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Alfredo Mantica, introduced the initiative, which he defined as “one of the most significant cultural initiatives promoted and organised by the Foreign Ministry’s Directorate General for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation in collaboration with the Accademia della Crusca and the Italian cultural network”. Since 2001 the Week has been “a major event promoting the Italian language and related cultural content abroad”.
The cultural events in this 9th Week will highlight Italian creativity in art, science and technology and its relationship with linguistic creativity, which in the course of history has contributed so much to the linguistic heritage of Europe and indeed the world. From music to opera, from the figurative arts to architecture, from science to technology, from fashion to design, from song to sport, from food to cuisine.
“Initiatives are organised during Italian Language Week by the Italian Cultural Institutes, Embassies, Consulates, Italian Studies departments in universities, Italian and bilingual schools and the Dante Alighieri committees”. As Senator Mantica then underlined, “These initiatives are an important means of promoting the Italian language and related cultural content abroad. During Language Week they bring together all the strands of our network abroad in a single, great event”.
Italian Language in the World Week was first established in 2001 as an idea of the Accademia della Crusca and the Directorate General for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation. Under the Patronage of the President of the Republic, each year the event gains in force and sees a growing participation by Cultural Institutes and Embassies, which promote events throughout the world.