With still clear in mind, as Minister Dario Franceschini recalls, the images of the Odessa Opera choir singing the "Va, Pensiero" of Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco in the street, under the Ukrainian flag, Italy celebrates the candidacy of the Italian opera singing as an intangible heritage of humanity decided by the Board of Directors of the Italian National Commission for Unesco.
The exclusion of coffee, another true universal symbol of the country, leaves a bad taste in the mouth, even if the Unesco site announcing the news specifies that the dossier on the most famous Italian drink in the world between culture, rituals, sociability and literature is was highly appreciated by the members of the Board.
"With the candidacy of Italian opera as an intangible heritage of humanity, Italy is aiming for the recognition of one of its most authentic and original cultural expressions" explains the Minister of Culture.
And regarding the Odessa Opera that Verdi sings, he adds: "A proof of how much the expression of Italian opera singing is authentically an integral part of the cultural heritage of humanity, which turns to it in the darkest moments to rediscover light, strength. and beauty ".
"For professionals and operators in the sector, for all lovers of music and the performing arts, for the whole of Italy - says the Undersecretary of State for Culture Lucia Borgonzoni - today is a day as important as it is expected. The news is a source of great satisfaction and pride and for this I thank the work done by the Communities and the Unesco Office of the Ministry of Culture. I also thank the Italian National Commission for Unesco, which with its decision recognizes the importance of a world in able to tell our story like few others, that immense wealth of traditions and skills that distinguish our country in the world, on which to focus in this historical moment more than ever ".
The decision completes the long and demanding path undertaken by Service II - Unesco Office of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Directorate General for Entertainment.
The candidacy recognizes the requests of the "Committee for the Safeguarding of the Art of Italian Lyric Singing" to which the Teatro Alla Scala Foundation in Milan, the Accademia Nazionale Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Association of Theaters have adhered. Italians of Tradition and Assoliric.
The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, through the Italian Representation at Unesco, will follow the next steps of the candidacy up to the final recognition.
This year Italy is also participating in a transnational candidacy, "Traditional irrigationin Europe, Knowledge, technique and organization", which has Austria as its leader and also sees the participation of Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
In addition, Italy participates in the extension of the "Transhumance, the seasonal droving of livestock" candidacy to Albania, Andorra, Croatia, France, Luxembourg, Romania and Spain.
Transhumance was inscribed on the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2019 as a transnational element in Austria, Greece and Italy.
(HANDLE).
