“What does Italianness mean? A question that has been open for centuries and still very topical that we must make our own, focusing on the past and on the lessons of the present. Even those learned with sacrifice and pain such as the experience of the pandemic crisis ». This was stated by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella speaking at the Farnesina on the occasion of the General States of the Italian language. Recalling how “Italian in the world today resounds through multiple expressions. Multiple dimensions that project a winning image abroad ».
In his speech at the XXI Edition of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, the Head of State recalled how Italian is «a language studied by over 2 million people and is confirmed as a pole of attraction for those who look with interest at the beautiful country. Language represents the first ambassador of Italy’s know-how and know-how. Italian is the child of creativity, appreciated and admired internationally ». And he quoted Umberto Eco who “on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy defined this ambition as the Italian of tomorrow, suggesting two ideas that should be taken up again today: Italian is” a constant element of Italianness over the course of a millennium “and the natural pillar of our identity wherever we are. An aspect that characterizes us and which takes on particular relevance in the globalized world in which we live “.
Then the words on the future of the Italian language and culture, with the accent on creativity: «This edition comes after a reflection promoted by the Farnesina on the tools for projection of Italian culture in the world and on the contents that need to be strengthened. A choral effort that has opened new developments in the awareness that the perspective of the Italian of tomorrow is no longer represented exclusively by the spoken and written language. It is right to combine language with the element of creativity, two sides of the same coin which are destined to become more and more integrated in the future ».
On the sidelines, once again the Head of State recalled the importance of cohesion between States to face the challenges of today and tomorrow. Covid in the first place: «The field in which we operate is characterized by the complexity of the reality that surrounds us. The world is facing challenges that no country, no culture can imagine facing alone. Crises such as those induced by climate change, the right aspirations for genuinely equitable and sustainable development, all intersect with new global frictions and hotbeds of unsatisfaction that cross the geographical lines between our continents ”.