The Diplomat
On Wednesday, 8 October, at the Palacio de Amboage, headquarters of the Italian Embassy in Madrid, took place the conference Mediterranean Reflections: Italy and Spain, centuries of encounters, on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Italy and Spain. The initiative highlighted the historical, cultural and intellectual roots that unite the two countries, also underlining the role of knowledge, education and the media in building a common European identity.
Ambassador Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi recalled, in his opening speech, that the inspiration for the conference is linked to the state visit to Italy of King Philip VI last December, during which the sovereign defined this anniversary as a sign of “solidarity, trust and historical cooperation” between our countries, a message of the most current in an international context that requires collaboration, solidarity and structured dialogue spaces between governments, universities, territories and companies. The following speaker was Ainhoa Fábrega Larrucea, Director-General for Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who emphasised the strong Italian presence in Spain, as evidenced by academic exchanges, by tourism and the strong links between civil societies in both countries.
The conference, moderated by Francesco Battigelli, was attended by academics and leading figures from the cultural world. Among them, Professor Ricardo Ruiz de la Serna offered an analysis on the evolution of the perception of Italy in Spain, intertwining history, culture and present; Alfonso de Ceballos-Escalera and Gila, Marqués de la Floresta, the history of bilateral relations through the perspective of cultural diplomacy; Amalio de Marichalar and Sáenz de Tejada, Count of Ripalda, recalled the symbolic value of the archaeological site of Numancia as an example of resilience and determination, while Lavinia Monti, Director of the Office for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Italian Ministry for Universities and Research, illustrated the dynamism of academic relations between Italy and Spain. Finally, professors Dario Costi and Antonio Pizza showed how the mutual influences between the architectural traditions of the two countries have enriched the international debate, confirming the value of cultural exchange as a tool for dialogue and shared growth.
