September 11, 2015 – The conference “2014-1914 The legacy of the great empires. The geopolitical legacy of the First World War and the role of Italy” opens on 16 September in Brussels the Veneto Region’s tour abroad to commemorate the centenary of the Great War. The tour was organized jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The meeting will be held at the Italian Cultural Institute in Brussels and at the headquarters of the European Parliament. The goal of the event, which includes many other events in several European cities, is to “exploit – explains the Councilor for Culture of the Veneto Region, Cristiano Corazzari – the positive things that emerged from that conflict, the basic principles of contemporary society, the values of peace, civil life, and relations between peoples. Those same values are also the basis for European integration.” The initiative was presented by the Adviser to the Italian Embassy Marco Tornetta, coordinator for the International Commemoration of the Two World Wars and the Resistance, who underlined how the Veneto Region has shown great “sensitivity in promoting certain values and historical concepts outside national borders. In this way, also strengthening the ties with Italian communities abroad”. “There is a historical problem we need to deal with – stressed Annamaria De Caroli, director of Communication and International Relations of the Mission for Anniversaries of national interest at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – namely, the widespread misconception that Italy didn’t have an impact in the Great War. Instead, people must understand the fundamental importance that the Italian front had in the economy of the conflict.” (Cle)
