(10 March 2016) “People like him are needed more on earth rather than in heaven. There are a lot of beautiful people up there, but here there are few…” whispered Roberto Benigni while saying goodbye to Umberto Eco in Milan for the last time. While his body may be gone, Eco’s unique and inexhaustible contribution to the field of culture, from semiotics to literature, constitutes a deep-rooted part of our global heritage, effectively elevating the intellectual from Alessandria to Ambassador of Italian culture in the world. For this reason, the Foreign Ministry network (embassies, consulates, cultural institutes…) is promoting a global initiative to remember and celebrate the character. The next scheduled event is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute of Toronto, in partnership with the Emilio Goggio Chair in Italian Studies. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16 (6:30pm to 8:30pm) at 496 Huron St., headquarters of the Institute. The event will see the participation of Rocco Capozzi, Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto and an expert on Umberto Eco, who will give a lecture on “Umberto Eco. The witty living encyclopedia and acute observer that the world will miss.” (Red)
