On a spectacular evening at the Circolo degli Esteri in Rome, the most prestigious seat of Italian diplomacy, the
presentation of the volume “The Embassy of Italy in India” by Ambassador Gaetano Cortese who, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and the Federal State of South Asia, has enriched the prestigious Series by the publisher Carlo Colombo, conceived by himself in order to enhance the architectural and artistic heritage of the Italian diplomatic representations abroad, which is still perhaps little known today. A prestigious book that we had already covered in Il Giornale on 4 April 2024 with a review that described its historical significance in detail. A highly valuable publication that traces the diplomatic history between the two countries in the last 75 years of relations between Italy and India and above all illustrates the historical and architectural profile of the Residence of the Italian Ambassador in New Delhi. A work of extraordinary importance, as underlined by the speakers at the presentation press conference, starting from Senator Giulio Terzi of Sant’Agata, who, defining Gaetano Cortese’s work as “fascinating” and extolling the work done for the text by Professor Francesco Perfetti, recalled how, as President of the Italy-India Parliamentary Friendship Intergroup, he himself had asked the editor to create the Volume. Words of praise and full of an amazing cultural and historical vision were also expressed by Ambassador Um
Berto Vattani, while Prof. Francesco Perfetti, with a careful analysis, focused his speech on the contents of the book. The Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo De Luca also wanted to participate in the work, entrusting his testimony to a video message: “The Italian Residence, with its garden – explained the diplomat – was an instrument
fundamental for the promotion and projection of our country, also through the many events hosted”.
An exceptional convention which involved personalities from the political, economic, diplomatic, military, cultural and press and information worlds who took part in the event held in the historic building of the Club of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, founded and inaugurated by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Galeazzo Ciano.
Present were the Vice President Emeritus of the Constitutional Court Luigi Mazzella, the Attorney General of the State Ignazio Caramazza, the Judge of the Court of Cassation Massimo Fedeli, the former Chief of Staff of the Navy Admiral Marcello De Donno, the General Giuseppe Cornacchia, the ambassadors Lucio Alberto Savoia, Alberto Schepisi, Daniele Verga, Franco Mistretta, Carlo Marsili, Gianfranco Varvesi, Elisabetta Kelescian, Anna Blefari Melazzi, Professor Antonio Garcovic, the prince 
Guglielmo Giovannelli Marconi, the Vice President of the Union of Honorary Consuls in Italy (UCOI) Mattia Carlin, the Director of the Diplomatic Journal Dario de Marchi, the Director of the Diplomatic Journal Marco Finelli, the Director of Consul Press Giuliano Marchetti as well as
numerous diplomats, directors of the Italian Cultural Institutes and Farnesina officials.
During the presentation, a video was shown, edited by Ambassador Stefano Baldi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the OSCE in Vienna, with all the publications from the series of the Carlo Colombo publisher of Rome. All the personalities present were offered a copy of the book as a personal tribute from the publisher Giovanni Battista Colombo, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the book series dedicated to the valorisation of the architectural and artistic heritage of Italian diplomatic representations abroad.
Closing the presentation of the volume, moderated by the journalist Carlo Rebecchi, was Gaetano Cortese who, telling a series of anecdotes, linked not only to the book but also to the deep friendship that binds him to the speakers who attended, wanted to thank everyone for their contribution to the success of the volume.
Published by Servizi Tipografici Carlo Colombo, the editorial project dedicated to the valuable diplomatic headquarters located in New Delhi; rich in photos, stories, anecdotes and curiosities, beyond the details provided on the history of the Italian residence from an architectural and artistic point of view, it reconstructs, with an exceptional work, the entire path of relationships
diplomatic relations between Italy and India starting way back in 1948. In more than seventy-five years, many state visits have taken place in a decidedly elegant and fascinating place, modern in structure and characterized by a large garden where olive trees imported from ‘Italy. Most of the images contained in the book, which uses the preface by the Italian Ambassador to India Vincenzo De Luca, come from the historical archive of the Presidency of the Republic and the Istituto Luce Cinecittà, as well as from the photographic archive of the Ansa . The publication also contains a summary of the G20 meetings of Heads of State and Government from 2008 to 2024.
At the end of the presentation, the President of the Federico II Study Center, Giuseppe Di Franco, presented Ambassador Gaetano Cortese with the “Federico II International Award – StuporMundi” 2024 edition for his extraordinary and meritorious work, which dates back to 1999, of editing and publishing the precious volumes which document the wonders of art and architecture of the residences of the ambassadors and the diplomatic offices of Italy around the world, together with the history of relations with the countries that host them; the President of the Federico II Study Center, Di Franco, concurrently awarded the Federician Seal to the Grand Officer of OMRI Editore Giovanni Battista Colombo as a sign of recognition for the splendid and valuable editorial series dedicated to the valorization of the architectural and artistic heritage of the Italian embassies in world on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its establishment.
Carlo Franza