October 28th, 2015 – Dante Alighieri has arrived in Sudan for the 15th edition of the Week of Italian Language in the World, the annual promotion event for Italian language abroad. This year, Italy also celebrates the 750th anniversary since the birth of the Great Poet with a major cultural event in Khartoum – the capital of Sudan. On October 22, a curious, attentive, and enthusiastic audience gathered for a conference organized by the Italian Embassy in Khartoum and the University of Khartoum entitled “Dante, poet of freedom, justice and peace,” edited by Professor Gianni Vacchelli. The event took place in the prestigious Sharjah Hall of the University of Sudan, and saw the participation of Italian residents, young Sudanese students, scholars, and professors, and members of the international community. A few days later, the Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Lobasso gave a positive review of the initiative: “the challenge here was to present an important and complex piece of writing as the Divine Comedy to a broad public, but given the success of the conference, I can say that the challenge was completed. In Sudan, there is a huge demand for Italian language and culture and the institutions must do everything possible to adapt the Italian offer. In this country – concluded the Ambassador – we are present and active, to reciprocate the respect these people have for us.” (Gil)
