As most world’s Italian diplomatic representations and cultural institutes abroad, also the Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah is getting ready to commemorate the event at the Italian Cultural Center (CICER) with a six-day happenings schedule starting October 16 on the musical notes of an unmissable instrumental-lyrics concert. Trumpet player and composer Mauro Maur, particularly famous for his collaborations with director Federico Fellini and composer Ennio Morricone, and his wife, pianist Francoise de Clossey, will fly for the second time to Jeddah, accompanied on this occasion by soprano Sarah Agostinelli and tenor Adriano Gentili.

Renowned musical compositions by legendary Italian composers, who contributed through their art to form the spirit of national identity, will be interpreted by the quartet. Specifically, pieces from Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida,” “Traviata,” “Rigoletto” and “Nabucco,” Giacomo Puccini’s “Boheme” and “Turandot,” Gaetano Donizetti’s “Elisir d’Amore,” Vincenzo Bellini’s “Puritani” and Gioacchino Rossini’s “Gazza Ladra.” This classics’ execution will be preceded by an interpretation of the Italian national anthem, composed by poet and patriot Goffredo Mameli and composer Michele Novaro.

The program continues on Oct. 18 and 20 with two movie screenings: “Allonsanfan (1974)” and “Viva l’Italia.”

“Allonsanfan” by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani tells the story of an ex Jacobin betraying his revolutionary ideals to pursue the dream of a comfortable life with his family. “Viva l’Italia” is a homage to the figure of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian revolutionary general that led the Expedition of the Thousand military campaign.

The movies were chosen for their capacity to reproduce the atmosphere of political unrest, characterizing the Resurgence period (1815 – 1861) and to present the most charismatic figures that fought for the unification of Italian peninsula. However, the relatively recent political-territorial unity represents only the epitome of a long-pursued dream. The 19th century unification process was the only possible outlet in a divided territory pervaded by a common cultural and linguistic heritage and a feeling of national identity.

In other words, the Italian language and literature contributed to prefigure the idea of a nation. Works of Italian authors from Dante Alighieri (1265 – 1321) to Ugo Foscolo (1778 – 1827) shaped a community of people united by language, culture and feelings of mutual belonging despite the multiplicity of political communities assembled on the peninsula.

In order to browse all the years that passed since the achievement of this yearned unification goal and to present Italy’s historical heritage, the Italian Consulate General in Jeddah proposes an exhibition available during the entire week (Oct. 16 to 21). Sponsored by KAB Holding, Jeddah Hilton & Qasr Al Sharq and Al Etimad Modern Business Solutions Co, “Focus on Heritage — 150 Years of Images of UNESCO Sites in Italy” Exhibition displays 44 Italian UNESCO sites through a selection of 201 historical and contemporary images that cover the last 150 years.

“The quality and the variety of its cultural and natural heritage have earned Italy a notable number of inscriptions to the World Heritage List: From natural sites to cultural landscapes, from prehistoric sites to documents of the Renaissance and Baroque, and on up to the industrial sites of the early 1900s,” explains the exhibition’s introductory panel.

Today, the Italian language lost its vehicular function. However, no good international lyric poet could avoid studying Italian, as Italian melodramas constitute an indefeasible part of worldwide lyric theater programs.

Italian culture still enjoys a high reputation and the made in Italy plays an important role for international business. According to Italy’s Foreign Ministry Franco Frattini, the cultural substantiality of Italian language and Italy’s economic relevance open for this language a wide spectrum of development chances and the possibility to play an important international role at a cultural and economic level.