Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and a large government delegation — including Deputy Prime Ministers Karel Havlíček and Jaromír Zuna, as well as the Ministers of Justice, Transport, Sport and Regional Development — attended the reception held on 2 June at the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute on the occasion of the Republic Day.
The Castle Military Band opened the celebrations with the Italian, Czech and European anthems. Ambassador Alessandro Gaudiano and the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Marialuisa Pappalardo, welcomed the nearly one thousand guests from the political, economic, cultural and diplomatic spheres.
In his remarks, Ambassador Gaudiano highlighted the privileged relationship between Italy and the Czech Republic, founded on friendship, cultural affinities and a shared European identity. Prime Minister Babiš underlined the strategic nature of bilateral relations and the growing cooperation in energy, innovation, technology, defence and security, recalling his recent meeting in Rome with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The evening concluded with guests visiting the exhibition “Napoli rivive la grande scena. Figurini teatrali a Napoli” (Naples revives the great stage: Neapolitan theatre figurines), featuring materials and costumes from the Fondazione Pagliara collection, as well as the scenographic pathway of the Giardino di Pinocchio (Pinocchio Garden), offering an immersive experience dedicated to the famous wooden puppet.
