Today, 28 July, at 6 PM, the Hall of Honour of CONI – the Italian National Olympic Committee – will host the event to launch the “La bellezza in un gesto” (“Beauty in an Act”) Project. The initiative is launched under an agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Fencing Federation (FIS) within the broader context of promoting the image of Italy abroad through the sport of fencing to be implemented through the diplomatic and consular network, the Italian Cultural Institutes, and the ICE Offices.
The ceremony will open with an address by Minister Di Maio, followed by contributions by the Minister of Tourism Garavaglia and the Presidents of the CONI Malagò – who recently defined it a “wonderful initiative” –, of the Italian Paralympic Committee Pancalli, and of the FIS Azzi, at the presence of high-ranking institutional officials and representatives of the world of sport. The event also schedules conference calls with the Italian Ambassadors in Madrid, Cairo, and Tunis, whose embassies have already joined the project, in addition to contributions by Olympic and Paralympic athletes and the screening of an emotional video specifically produced for the project and financed by the Foreign Ministry as part of the integrated promotion initiatives, with the aim of leveraging the fencing discipline as a means to promote our cultural and territorial heritage and value system.
The presentation will close with the opening of the “Pronti, a voi!” photographic exhibition: competition and emotions, physical exertion and humanity coexist in the moments immortalized by Augusto Bizzi, the photographer who has best succeeded to narrate the fascination of fencing in Italy and in the world over the past years.
For Minister Di Maio: “‘La Bellezza in un gesto’ is an effective example of synergy between the Foreign Ministry and the world of sport aimed at promoting our Country’s best abroad. By virtue of its extraordinary capacity to tell the story of Italy and the variety and wealth of Made-in-Italy products, we have put sport at the centre of our integrated promotion activities. It is an activity that fully integrates in the internationalization strategy for Italian companies outlined in the Pact for Export two years ago and since then continuously enriched and updated to better meet the needs of our companies in a changing international context fraught with challenges.”
The President of the Italian Fencing Federation, Paolo Azzi, said: “For the whole fencing discipline, it is a great honour to have been chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as an Italian point of excellence in the world. It is a recognition that makes us proud and even more responsible, not only in view of the results but also of the social commitment and value system that characterizes our sport. The “La Bellezza in un gesto” project is the expression of how fencing can represent an extraordinary conduit for the promotion of our Country and of the events scheduled in Madrid, Hammamet, and Cairo, thanks to our Embassies, which prove how this ambitious and prestigious programme has achieved its goal and will also lead Italy to host the 2023 World Fencing Championships in Milan and the Paralympic Championship in Terni.”
