L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 Developing new strategies to promote the Italian language worldwide abroad, must not only take pride in but also work hard to confirm in the future. To this end, on October 21- 22 the Palazzo Vecchio and the Teatro Della Pergola in Florence hosted the Italian Language in the World States General. Conceived by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration with the Ministry for Education, Universities and Research and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism, the initiative aims at analyzing both the current sit- uation and future opportunities to disseminate the knowledge of the Italian language and culture. Many actors took part in the discussion, including schools and universities, scholars and researchers, language teachers and lecturers, lawmakers, and representatives of Italian Embassies, Consulates, and Cultural Institutes abroad. In particular, the Italian diplomat- ic network was also involved in the implementation of the 14th Italian Language in the World Week, taking place October 20 through 25. Established in 2001, it usually includes a rich program of lectures, confer- ences, exhibitions, and other cultural activities in over 100 different countries. In consider- ation of Italy's presidency of the Council of the European Union, this year's theme was "Writing the New Europe: Italian Publishing, Authors and Readers in the Digital Era." The Italian Language in the World States General were pre- sented by Mario Giro, under- Continued from page 1 In the United States, autumn is the season filled with pump- kins, football and falling leaves, but in another corner of the planet, an entire continent turns its focus towards a delicacy shared by communities around the world: chocolate. Comfortably situated in the Umbrian hills of Italy, one can find Perugia; college town, ground zero for the Amanda Knox scandal, and for one week only in October (18-26), chocolate capitol of the world. Manufacturers from around Europe bring their tasty treats to the ancient city center of Perugia to celebrate the various traditions and methods associat- ed with the production and con- sumption of chocolate. The narrow cobble stoned streets are packed to capacity with Italians and foreigners alike, sampling old favorites like Perugina's Baci and innovative creations by Lindt. One of the most anticipated events of Eurochocolate (as it is officially called) is a type of performance art, or rather, an opportunity to see some of Italy's most talent- ed artists take a stab at using a most unconventional material to create art. On the first Sunday of the festival, each artist is given 1.24-ton block of dark chocolate provided by the nearby Perugina factory, which they hack, chisel and manipu- late into glorious, edible artistic visions. Before a curious and gleeful public and with only 8 hours in which to do it, each artist carves away at the enor- mous mass to reveal a unique sculpture inspired by this year's theme, Tablò Perugina. Recent years have seen the creation of life sized chocolate Fiat 500, the Roman Coliseum, even a giant video game controller. The sculpture event is particu- larly appealing in a country whose identity is so firmly rooted in both food and art. These consumable creations remain on display through the end of the festival. Visitors to this year's Eurochocolate will enjoy the creative chocolate styling of Massimo Arzilli, Maria Rosaria Caramia, Livio Paolantoni and Doru Emil Andrii, who represent a spec- trum of varied artistic approaches from the classical to the modern. For more infor- mation and daily pictures of this event and more, http://w2.eurochocolate.com/pe rugia2014/. Chocolate: The artist's muse secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nicoletta Mantovani, cultural councilmember of the city of Florence, and Gabriele Lavia, artistic director of the Teatro della Pergola. As Mario Giro underlined, about 250 million people in the world speak Italian and are con- nected to the Italian culture, mainly thanks to our appealing lifestyle. Therefore, one of the main goals of this initiative is to raise public awareness of the fact that our language repre- sents a crucial asset in the glob- alized world. Possible developments in the field of language promotion were investigated on the basis of contributions, provided by 5 working groups composed of leading members from institu- tional, academic, and scientific bodies, collected throughout the Spring and Summer 2014, as well as inputs from the web community. Among the discus- sion topics were the new chal- lenges and instruments relating to language promotion, and pri- ority countries and universities to address. The outcomes of the States General will inspire communication and language- related policies in the years to come. The two-day meeting in Florence was accompanied by public events organized by the city of Florence – the cradle of the Italian language, as Nicoletta Mantovani reminded – featuring opera, literature and prose, cinema, and a concert of famous film scores by Italian composers. The Italian Language in the World States General is part of the government's broader effort to promote the image of Italy worldwide in this as well as in many other strategic sectors like tourism and manufacturing. On October 21-22 the Palazzo Vecchio and the Teatro Della Pergola in Florence hosted the Italian Language in the World States General In Perugia, some of Italy's most talented artists create art with chocolate PAIGE HOFFMAN

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