A snapshot of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lydia Koniordou and her Italian counterpart, Dario Francescini, in Corfu on September 14, 2017
Following the first Italian-Hellenic Summit held on 14 September 2017 in Corfu and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lydia Koniordou and her Italian counterpart, Dario Francescini, the Director General of Art of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Italy, Onofrio Cutaia, visited Athens on 18 and 19 January 2018.
Mr. Cutaia met with the Minister of Culture, in the presence of representatives of supervised bodies of the Ministry of Culture, in order to implement the orientations and priorities set in Corfu. On January 19, 2018, Mr. Cutaia visited the Athens Concert Hall and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for Culture.
Among the collaborations that took place in Corfu between the Italian Minister for Culture, Mr Francescini and Mrs Koniordou, is the return of INDA (Istituto Nazionale Dramma Antico) to Epidaurus on 17 and 18 August 2018, and Italy’s accession to the Network Ancient Drama and the Lyceum of Epidaurus. In addition, the co-production of a concert dedicated to Rossini, the National Opera and the Rossini Opera Festival of Pesaro on September 16, 2018, as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations since Joacino Rossini died, laying the foundations for new partnerships between the two institutions.
Also, in the recent meeting with Mr Cutaia, three years of cooperation (2018-2020) between the major cultural organizations of the two countries (national theaters, large theater and dance festivals, concert halls) were decided for artistic exchanges, co-productions and educational programs areas of theater, opera, music and dance. With the Italian Embassy in Greece and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Atene, a series of activities in the field of cultural heritage, contemporary art, literature and cinema (including the first complete retrospective by Pier Paolo Pazolini in Greece, organized by the Greek Film Archive, in collaboration with “Cineteca Nazionale di Bologna” and “Istituto Luce”).
The aim of the Ministry of Culture is to strengthen and further develop the cultural ties between the two countries sharing common values, capitalizing on the great cultural heritage and modern creativity.
