The mostly unknown Italian participation in the creation of many dozens of theatrical structures throughout Latin America, between the early 19th and mid-20th centuries, was highlighted today during the presentation in Rome of the volume 'Vissi d'arte - Italia en los teatros de América Latina' (Efesto Editions), which was attended by Antonella Cavallari, secretary general of the International Italo-Latin American Organisation (Iila), Luigi Maria Vignali, director general for Italians abroad and migration policies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Maria Margarita Segarra Lagunes, editor of the initiative.
Launched a few years ago, the project to research and codify the theatres born in the Latin American territory with the contribution of Italian architects, engineers, companies, artists and craftsmen, led to an initial census and the creation of a first exhibition, held between October and November 2023 in the National Academy of St. Luke in the capital, and a virtual version of it that can be viewed on the website www.italiateatrilatinoamerica.it.
It was a journey through space and time that covered 65 cities in nine countries of the American subcontinent, where as many as 100 theatrical structures were located that saw the light of day thanks to the contribution of Italian 'savoir faire'. This was proof of the intervention of numerous Italian architects and engineers, including Adamo Boari, Roberto Gottardi, Vittorio Garatti, Juan Bautista Arnaldi and Vittorio Meano
In his introduction, Cavallari recalled that the project 'was born from the observation, matured in my many travels, that in every Latin American country, there were several Italian theatres. Hence the idea of carrying out a census of the existing ones that would lead to an exhibition capable of making everyone aware of the great, enormous contribution of Italian emigration to Latin America'.
A contribution, he added, 'not only architectural in terms of the beautiful buildings constructed, but also of culture, of thought, because theatres are not just any old place, but also a centre where a cultural process is formed and matures'.
After the stop in Rome, the exhibition was also presented in the Museo Nacional de Arquitectura del Palacio de Bellas Arte in Mexico City, where it was seen by 43,000 visitors, and then in the Italian embassy in Brasilia and the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. 'But we hope,' concluded the Iila secretary, 'that it will soon continue to travel to other Latin American countries.
On the work done and future prospects in this sector, Ambassador Vignali told ANSA that 'Vissi d'Arte proves the existence in Latin America of many theatres created with Italian contributions. Places of Italian and Latin American culture, places of aggregation, places that best represent,' he stressed, 'the ideal of beauty and cultural desire that Italy has brought to Latin America'.
This project, he added, 'has inspired another one, and so the Directorate General for Cultural Diplomacy of the Farnesina will create an initiative (Italy Builds Abroad) dedicated to all Italian architects working in the world, and therefore not only in Latin America, concerning no less than 1,700 Italian design works carried out in the five continents'.
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