(12th February, 2019 – Artworks returned to Italy. A ceremony was held at the Embassy of Italy during which Christie’s auction house returned eight antique artworks and a page of illuminated codex to Italy. The event was attended by Alberto Bonisoli, the minister for cultural activities and heritage; Raffaele Trombetta, the Italian ambassador to the UK; Fabrizio Parrulli, the Carabinieri commander responsible for the protection of cultural heritage; Guillaume Cerutti, the CEO of Christie’s; and Stephen Brooks, the deputy CEO of Christie’s).
Cultural relations between Italy and the UK prosper thanks to widespread collaboration between public authorities, universities, research bodies, cultural institutions, associations, schools and companies in both Italy and the UK. The large, highly qualified Italian community in the UK strengthens the excellent cultural relations between the two countries.
The consulates general and the Italian cultural institutes in London and Edinburgh assist the embassy with its cultural cooperation initiatives.
The following websites are a useful starting point for learning more about Italian culture in the UK:
- The Italian cultural institutes in London and Edinburgh, which give information on the hundreds of events relating to Italian culture in the UK, including shows, exhibitions and language courses
- The Facebook pages of the cultural institutes in London and Edinburgh
- The website of ENIT, the national tourist board
Language as a gateway to Italian culture and lifestyle
Italian is the fifth most studied language in British universities and there is growing demand for it in the British business world. This can be attributed to a number of factors: the fact that the UK is home to a large Italian community that seeks to preserve and cultivate its roots, the widespread recognition of Italian as a language of culture, and the role of the language as a gateway to Italian lifestyle.
Useful information:
• Universities offering degrees in Italian: Reading, Manchester, Birmingham, Durham, Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews and Edinburgh. Also see the Society of Italian Studies (SIS).
• Scholarships for courses in Italian language and related subjects.
• Qualifications offices and management bodies: Qualifications offices operate from the embassy and consulates. They collaborate with local non-profit organisations that receive funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to run Italian language courses in schools.
- Consulate General qualifications office
- Italian Cultural Institute London
- Italian Cultural Institute Edinburgh
- Italian lecturers at UK universities