Nineteenth century chimney sweeps, ditch diggers, figure painters and ice-cream makers, together with today’s miners and workers, university teachers and researchers, scientists, expatriates and transmigrants are all portrayed in “1,001 Italians. History and Stories of Italians in the Netherlands” a book written by Daniela Tasca in Italian. It is the first organic study of the contribution of Italian nationals to the history and development of the Netherlands. The idea of collecting the stories of “1,001 Italians” was launched in spring 2012 by Italian Ambassador in The Hague, Francesco Azzarello, during a meeting with other Italians in Eindhoven. It has become a publishing project sponsored by the Embassy, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation, together with the Stichting Culturissima / 1001 Italianen foundation.
“1001 Italians”
The book was presented on February 25 in the main lecture hall of the University of Amsterdam. It narrates stories from the late eighteenth century to the present day. “This book is meant to be a gift from Italy to our fellow citizens living in the Netherlands who have been key in shaping history and modern excellence in all fields. But it is also an instrument of knowledge and reference outside the Netherlands. After four years, it is thrilling to see the final product of this project and to be able to share it,” Ambassador Azzarello said.
