he Day of Remembrance, unanimously approved by the Italian parliament and voted into law some three years ago, is held annually on January 27th in commemoration of the date of the liberation of Auschwitz In a message to Prof. Amos Luzzatto , President of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi stated: "We have an obligation to teach our children to remember the past, to keep alive the conscience of the Holocaust, so as not to deprive them of the moral heritage that represents historical continuity." In Israel, Ambassador Giulio Terzi, accompanied by members of the Embassy and the Italian Defense Attaché, laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Ambassador Terzi said that the establishment of the Day of Remembrance is a commitment to oppose every form of anti-Semitism, racialism and discrimination. Furthermore, continued the Ambassador, Israel recognizes the importance and relevance of the words of President Ciampi on the occasion of his visit to Yad Vashem on October 12th 1999: "The Holocaust is an integral part of our memory: that is a fact, and it must remain so for coming generations; Italy does not and will not forget." Throughout Italy the Holocaust Memorial Day was marked with a series of ceremonies and a pledge to create a National Holocaust Museum to honor Shoah victims and "to preserve in the nation's memory the drama of racial persecution and the Holocaust". n fulfillment of the agreements signed last October in Rome between Italian Health Minister Girolamo Sirchia and his Israeli counterpart Nissim Dahan, a delegation of medical and health professionals from Italy, led by Deputy Minister for the Economy Prof. Mario Baldassarri, recently visited Israel. The aim of the trip was to encourage further development of the Thalassemia Project, and to deepen bilateral cooperation in the medical and health sectors. Meetings between Israeli and Italian medical officials were described as extremely positive, underlined by ongoing cooperation in the fields of scientific research, tele- medicine and the management of emergency situations. mbassador Giulio Terzi and Italian Cultural Institute sponsor unique haute-couture benefit gala, a salute to Israel and the Yad B'Yad Organization from the world of Italian high fashion Coinciding with International Women's Day, the Italian Embassy will host a charity gala fashion show on March 8th 2003 by designer Prince Egon von Furstenberg, who will present a retrospective of his favorite creations as well as his Spring-Summer 2003 collection and wedding gowns. The event is dedicated to the Yad b'Yad (Hand in Hand) Organization. For a number of years the Embassy has been closely following the work of Yad B'Yad MARCH 2003 No. 22 1 Italian Deputy Minister for the Economy visits Israel I Discussions focused on fostering greater cooperation on Health issues and the fight against Thalassemia T (cont. p. 2) ITALY MARKS MEMORIAL DAY Italian Deputy Minister Mario Baldassarri (right) with Shimon Peres A (cont. p. 2) Gala Charity Evening of Italian Fashion: Designer Egon von Furstenberg in Israel Italian Fashion Gala 2003 Egon Furstenberg Saturday, March 8th 2003, at 8.30 pm Hotel David Intercontinental, Tel Aviv n February 1st a charity evening was held in Nazareth, organized by the Holy Family Hospital (Sacra Famiglia Fatebenefratelli), to raise funds for a new emergency wing. Among the over 500 participants at the event were the Bishop of Nazareth, Mons. Giacinto Boulos Marcuzzo, The Mayor of Nazareth Ramez Jaraisy , the Italian Ambassador to Israel, Giulio Terzi, and Professor Moshe Rekhav. The Italian government is promoting collaborative projects not only between Italian and Israeli hospitals, but also in order to augment its network of Italian hospitals abroad. www.fatebenefratelli.it/hfh <> O Charity Evening at Italian Hospital in Nazareth (cont. p. 2)
Transcript
he Day of Remembrance, unanimouslyapproved by the Italian parliament and
voted into law some three years ago, is heldannually on January 27th in commemorationof the date of the liberation of Auschwitz
In a message toP r o f . A m o sL u z z a t t o ,President of theU n i o n o f t h eItal ian JewishCommuni t i e s ,President Carlo
Azeglio Ciampi stated: "We have an obligationto teach our children to remember the past, tokeep alive the conscience of the Holocaust, soas not to deprive them of the moral heritage thatrepresents historical continuity."In Israel, Ambassador Giulio Terzi, accompaniedby members of the Embassy and the Italian DefenseAttaché, laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem HolocaustMemorial. Ambassador Terzi said that theestablishment of the Day of Remembrance is acommitment to oppose every form of anti-Semitism,racialism and discrimination. Furthermore,continued the Ambassador, Israel recognizes theimportance and relevance of the words of President
Ciampi on the occasion of his visit to Yad Vashemon October 12th 1999: "The Holocaust is an integralpart of our memory: that is a fact, and it must remainso for coming generations; Italy does not and willnot forget."Throughout Italy the Holocaust Memorial Day wasmarked with a series of ceremonies and a pledgeto create a National Holocaust Museum to honorShoah victims and "to preserve in the nation'smemory the drama of racia lpersecution and the Holocaust".
n fulfillment of the agreements signed lastOctober in Rome between Italian Health
Minister Girolamo Sirchia and his Israelicounterpart Nissim Dahan, a delegation of medicaland health professionals from Italy, led by DeputyMinister for the Economy Prof. Mario Baldassarri,recently visited Israel. The aim of the trip was toencourage further development of the ThalassemiaProject, and to deepen bilateral cooperation in themedical and health sectors. Meetings between Israeliand Italian medical officials were described asextremely positive, underlined by ongoingcooperation in the fields of scientific research, tele-medicine and the managementof emergency si tuations.
mbassador Giulio Terzi and Italian Cultural Institutesponsor unique haute-couture benefit gala, a salute
to Israel and the Yad B'Yad Organization from the worldof Italian high fashion
Coinciding with International Women's Day, the ItalianEmbassy will host a charity gala fashion show on March 8th2003 by designer Prince Egon von Furstenberg, who willpresent a retrospective of his favorite creations as well as
his Spring-Summer 2003collection and wedding gowns.
The event is dedicated to the Yadb ' Ya d ( H a n d i n H a n d )Organization. For a number ofyears the Embassy has beenclosely following the work of YadB'Yad
MARCH 2003No. 22
1
Italian Deputy Ministerfor the Economy visitsIsrael
I
Discussions focused on fostering greatercooperation on Health issues and the fightagainst Thalassemia
T
(cont. p. 2)
ITALY MARKS MEMORIAL DAY
Italian Deputy Minister Mario Baldassarri (right) withShimon Peres
A
(cont. p. 2)
Gala Charity Evening of Italian Fashion:Designer Egon von Furstenberg in Israel
Italian Fashion Gala 2003Egon Furstenberg
Saturday, March 8th 2003, at 8.30 pmHotel David Intercontinental, Tel Aviv
n February 1st a charity evening was held inNazareth, organized by the Holy Family
Hospital (Sacra Famiglia Fatebenefratelli), to raisefunds for a new emergency wing.
Among the over500 participants atthe event were theB i s h o p o fNazareth, Mons.Giacinto BoulosMarcuzzo, TheMayor of NazarethRamez Jaraisy ,the Italian Ambassador to Israel, Giulio Terzi, andProfessor Moshe Rekhav. The Italian government ispromoting collaborative projects not only betweenItalian and Israeli hospitals, but also in order to augmenti t s ne twork of I ta l ian hospi ta l s abroad .www.fatebenefratelli.it/hfh <>
O
Charity Evening at ItalianHospital in Nazareth
(cont. p. 2)
Elio Vito, House Whip forPremier Silvio Berlusconi's
Forza Italia party, said the government will setaside 16 million euros for the creation of theHolocaust Museum in the northern city ofFerrara. One million euros a year will be allottedfor its maintenance. Apart from collectingtestimonies on the Holocaust and on thedeportation of Italian Jews, the Museum willpromote meetings on the theme of peace betweennations, and honor personalities and projects thatkeep alive the memory of the Holocaust. Ferrara,site of one of Italy's largest Jewish communitiesoutside Rome and the setting for Giorgio Bassani'sfamous WWII novel "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis", is a fitting venue for the Museum.
In a separate ceremony, President Ciampihonored a leading Italian writer, a priest whosaved Jewish refugees, a Resistance fighter, atrade unionist, a postwar archivist and twodeportees. Among the seven to receive the Orderof Merit of the Italian Republic was writer MarioRigoni Stern, whose citation said that afterreturning from the Russian front he "kept alivethe memory of the suffering of our soldiers." Theother six honored were: Don Aldo Brunacci,priest at the Cathedral of San Rufino in Assisiwho, "during the Second World War savedhundreds of Jewish refugees;" Agata Herskovitz,known as Goti Bauer, deported to Auschwitz andfreed in Theresenstadt; Piero Terracina, freedfrom Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 1945; LuisellaMortara Ottolenghi, Chair of the ContemporaryCentre for Jewish Documentation; ProfessorFrancesco Niecchi Ruscone, a Resistance fighterheld in a special prison during the Nazi
occupation; and Ines Figini, a trade union officialduring Fascism, deported to Mathausen andAuschwitz.As politicians of all persuasions recalled theHolocaust in major speeches, 1,700 schoolsacross the country marked the event with amoment of silence.
In a televised message, Premier Silvio Berlusconisaid Holocaust Memorial Day "must be anoccasion to cultivate memory in order not toforget, to combat instances of intolerance, racismand anti-Semitism which still appear in manyplaces on Earth." Earlier Premier Berlusconipaid his respects to the Jewish community in atelephone call to Rome's chief rabbi, RiccardoDi Segni.
"Holocaust Memorial Day must be somethingmore than just an occasion to remember the past",said Deputy Premier Gianfranco Fini. Hecondemned the anti-Semitic race laws imposedunder Mussolini's Fascist regime and said they"were a shameful page in our nation's history[and] created horrors which must be condemnednot only today but on every occasion possible."Democratic Left leader Piero Fassino visitedRome's Synagogue and its adjacent Museum inremembrance of the Holocaust victims. Theleader of the opposition's biggest party said itwas vital to remember the horrors of the Shoahto ensure against a resurgence of "the evil seedsof racism and anti-Semitism." Senate SpeakerMarcello Pera told Rome Chief Rabbi RiccardoDi Segni that from 2004 the Senate will markHolocaust Memorial Day with a commemorativeceremony.<>
In particular the Thalassemia Project,which provides treatment at Pesaro's
San Salvatore Hospital for Israeli and Palestinianchildren suffering from the disease (a genetic blooddisorder), was singled out for special appreciation as anexample of compassionate humanitarianism at work.Prof. Baldassarri visited Rambam and Tel Hashomerhospitals, and held meetings with Ministers NissimDahan, Tzipi Livni and Silvan Shalom. After a briefingwith representatives of the Italian and Israeli media, theDeputy Minister met Shimon Peres and AmramMitzna, who had accompanied a group of Palestinianchildren with thalassemia to Rome.In all of his discussions Prof. Baldassarri referred tomeasures adopted by the Italian government in supportof the Thalassemia Project, in particular the inclusionof 45 million in the state budget to finance a three yearprogram for hospitals connected to the project. This willbe controlled by a Foundation under the auspices of theMinistry of Health, the Foreign Ministry and the LazioRegional Council. Haifa's Rambam Hospital will remainthe focal point of operations, and training programs formedical personnel will be instituted. Prof. Baldassarristressed the importance of collaboration in trainingbetween Israeli and Italian institutions.Further discussions concerned the efficient managementof emergency situations and the possibility ofstrengthening existing forms of collaboration, as wellas the development of new ones, within the frameworkof the recently signed agreement for cooperation inhealth and medical sciences. Prof. Baldassarri underlinedthe Italian view that this kind of cooperation lies withinthe larger plan for supporting the reconstruction of thePalestinian economy, the "Marshall Plan", launched bythe Italian government.Minister Baldassarri was warmly received by hiscolleagues in Israel, who expressed their appreciationfor the Italian government's continuing and proactivesupport for extending bilateral relations through ongoingand fresh initiatives during this difficult period of localand regional tension. <>
and its President, Shelly Hoshen, whohas developed close ties with Italian institutions andpersonalities. At the urging of Ambassador Terzi, thecelebrated designer agreed to donate an evening ofhaute couture in celebration of Yad B'Yad and its 500children, who are supported and sustained by its "WarmHomes" program. Mr Furstenberg agreed, despite thesecurity situation, to visit Israel at this time and presenthis latest creations, with the participation of some ofIsrael's most successful young models, on behalf ofa worthy cause.The initiative has also garnered the support of sponsororganizations such as Alitalia,I t a l y ' s n a t i o n a l a i r l i n e ,Mediterranean Car Agency Ltd.,importers of Alfa Romeo autos toI s r a e l , a n d t h e D a v i dIntercontinental Hotel, which willhost the evening. Lottery tickets willbe sold for items of value donatedby the sponsoring organizations. Allproceeds from the sale of lotterytickets will be donated to Yad B'Yad.
Italian Embassy Press Office:03-510.4004 ext 216<>
Edited by:The Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv
Italy Marks Memorial DayDeputy Minister Mario Baldassarri in IsraelItalian Fashion Gala 2003Charity Evening at Nazareth Italian HospitalItalian Team Departs for AfghanistanItaly Tops Market in 'Liquid Gold'Wind to Launch 3GItaly Invests in NanotechnologyItaly-Israel Chamber of Commerce Elects BoardEco-Aware AgricultureExcavations at Khirbet FattirFrank Gehry in VeniceNew Italian-Israeli R&D Projects ApprovedCollina Voted Best RefereeWatch Out Fast Food!Italian Trade Fair CalendarEvents in IsraelEvents in Italy
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Embassy of ItalyTrade Tower, 25 HaMered Street, Tel Aviv 68125Tel: 03-510.4004 Fax: 03-510.0235www.italian-embassy-israel.orgE-mail:[email protected] (Economic & Commercial Section)
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(cont. from p. 1)
ITALY MARKS MEMORIAL DAYItalian Deputy Minister for theEconomy visits Israel(cont. from p. 1)
Gala Charity Evening of Italian Fashion:Designer Egon von Furstenberg in Israel
(cont. from p. 1)
report recently released by the ItalianAssociation of Olive Oil Producers,
Unaprol, at the 87th International Olive OilCouncil (IOOC) conference, revealed thatwhile the global market in olive oil hadexpanded nearly 4% over the last decade,Italian oil remained the most popular,accounting for 77% of the US market and64% in Japan. Furthermore, Italianconsumers are the most discriminatingin Europe, showing an increasingpreference for organic olive oilsand those with a designatedprotected origin (DOP).
Unaprol President Nicola Ruggierosaid that the Italian olive oil marketwas diverse to an extent "which wasunimaginable a few years ago". He describedthis increasingly sophisticated taste as positive."It reflects a certain kind of culturaldevelopment taking place within Italy anddemonstrates a growth in understanding of the
subtleties of oliveoil," he said.According to anIOOC report, thegrowth in olive oilpopularity is set tocontinue and by 2010,over 10 million hectares will be given over toolive production, compared to a current 9
million. Nations such as Australia, SouthAfrica, Mexico, Argentina and Chileall plan to extend their cultivation ofo l i v e c r o p s , a l t h o u g h t h eMediterranean remains the mainproduction zone. This trend has beenreflected in a growing public
awareness of the health benefits of oliveoil and the quality of the various categories,
with extra virgin enjoying a particular boom.
With the growing public interest in olive oil,the food industry has made increasing use ofits positive image to sell a variety of products,
p r o m p t i n g t h e E u r o p e a nCommission to adopt furthermeasures aimed at protecting EUshoppers earlier this year. The newrules, which went into effect at thestart of November, lay down clearermarketing standards for olive oil,particularly in terms of presentationand label ing. According toRuggiero, this move to consolidatethe market in olive oil and promotequality will prove vital for Italy's"liquid gold" market.www.uniprol.it <>
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he first team of Italian militaryofficials recently left for Kabul
where they will be deployed in thefield in operations against internationalterrorism. The team consists of anadvance party of 35 military who willbasically be involved in setting up thelogistical structures required for thesubsequent deployment of the bulk ofthe contingent.
The encampment accommodates thecontingent and its operational equipment.The camp is used to receive, lodge and
assemble the personnel that will beoperating in the area and will be providedwith tents and the logistic structuresnecessary for improved operatingconditions. Once the contingent is fullydeployed a period of integration andfamiliarisation with other forces of thecoalition will follow until full operationalintegration is achieved. The DefenceGeneral Staff also said that aroundMarch 20th, “our units will transferunder the operational control of theCommand tasked with responsibilityfor the operations”. The mission willlast six months.<>
T
Afghanistan: First Italian Team Departs
Alpini going to KhostThe Italian contingent of 1,000 alpiniassigned to Afghanistan will be basedin Khost, located south of Kabul and closeto the boundary with Pakistan. The areais currently being used by American troopswho will soon be leaving to be replacedby the Italian military. The United Stateswill leave a helicopter unit to carry outinterdiction missions along the borderbetween Afghanistan and Pakistan. The
destination was announced by the Minister of Defence, Antonio Martino,during his recent visit to Aquila. Meeting the units assigned to themission Enduring Freedom, Martino said that there were no specificindications of threats and that many precautions have been taken.
A military flight has left for Kabul with the first team from the Italian contingent tobe deployed in Afghanistan in the fight against international terrorism
A Italy is one of the world's leadingproducers of olives and olive oil. Theoutput of olive oil is about 435,000 metrictons annually, which represents 25% ofworld production. An additional 75,000tons of table olives are produced annually.Italy's 2.5 million acres of olives (about13% of the world's 19.8 million oliveacres) are mostly located in the centraland south of the country. Per capitaconsumption of olive oil in Italy it isaround 48 cups per person compared toabout 2.5 cups per person in the US.
Reputation as global leader in olive oil remains unchallengedITALY TOPS THE MARKET IN "LIQUID GOLD"ITALY TOPS THE MARKET IN "LIQUID GOLD"
ind, Italy's third largest mobile operator, haslaunched 3G trials in four major Italian cities
and plans to expand its 3G services to other citiesin the course of 2003, according to the company'sChief Executive Tommaso Pompei, who recentlyvisited Israel as part of the Italian delegation toTelecom 2002.
Wind currently has around 7.7mcustomers and hopes to launchfull commercial next generationservices in mid-2003. Italianenergy firm Enel owns 73.4 per
cent of the company with France Telecom holdingthe remaining 26.6 per cent stake. Italy has five 3Glicensees - Telecom Italia Mobile, Omnitel Vodafone,Wind, Ipse and Hutchison 3G. Telecom Italia andHutchison 3G are competing to be the first in Italy tolaunch 3G services . www.wind. i t <>
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Wind to launch 3Gin mid-2003
here is a general consensus thatnanotechnology will dramatically affecttechnological development, and hence the
industrial evolution of the future. Nanotechnologyis in fact considered an enablingtechnology and therefore, asin similar advances of the past,could cause a transformationin the evolution of technologicalprogress that could see futureproducts with greatly enhancedor totally new features, openup industrial sectors, and
provide possible new avenues of growth andemployment.
AIRI (Italian Association for Industrial Research),capitalizing on the skills and knowledge acquiredby its coordination of the Minatech Project (co-financed by the EU on Micro- and Nano- technologiesand applications involving eight European countries)and answering to its institutional mission, haspromoted and is leading the creation of NANOTECIT (Italian Centre for Nanotechnologies), intendedto make the country's commitment to the sector
more responsive andeffective. NANOTECIT is an autonomous, leanstructure within AIRIwhose primary objectiveis to become the nationalf o c a l p o i n t f o rnanotechnologies ,bridging the aims andthe purposes of theindustrial world withthose of research. Publicand private researchinstitutions, large andsmall enterprises, as wellas institutions not directlyinvolved in researchactivity but interested intheir application anddiffusion, can be activesupporters of the Center.NANOTECH IT, recently established with thesupport and commitment of some of the mostimportant Italian nanotechnology research centers,will gather, select and disseminate all information
related to the sector, as well as promote initiatives,training programs, and transnational cooperation.www.nanotec.it/eng/[email protected] <>
n the occasion of theItalian-Israeli Forum
on Environmental Technologies,promoted by the I tal ianEmbassy, the Porter School ofEnvironmental Studies at TelAviv University, and the ItalianTrade Commission in Tel Aviv(14-15 October 2002), advancedtechnologies were presentedin the field of agro - zootechnics.These solutions elaborated from the highest qualitymilk chain production birthplace in Northern Italy(the Po Valley), and include:● Manure processing in relevant pig housing.● Recovery of agro-industrial packaged waste, beveragecartons and adhesive paper through composting
At the moment we are studying the development ofthe two reports presented at the Workshop in internationalcooperation projects, in the field of eco-aware agriculture.These projects take into account the priorities of theIsraeli Ministry of the Environment:● to protect soil and groundwater from highconcentration of nutrients, salts, fats etc.● to give the soil organic matter putting up thedesertification and soil overcropping;● to reduce the extraction of water from the watertable
The first project regardsthe centralised depurationof pig slurry in Israel toobtain an irrigation water
meeting the quality standard required by local law.
The technology suggested is theSequential Batch Reactor (S.B.R.),tested in Italy by C.R.P.A. (ResearchCenter of Animal Production, ReggioEmilia, Italy), with a final ultrafiltration, in collaboration with ProfAvner Adin (Hebrew University- Jerusalem) and Rosenthal EngineerStudy (Gilon Israel). We maypreview the application of this
solution to other farms and agro-factories (wastewater, olives, industrial fruits etc.) with improvementof knowledge and industrial application of thetechnologies proposed.
"The cooperation project provides for integrationand development of minority communities in theeconomic and civil bodies of Israel, throughpartnerships with Arab Israelis and, in future,with Palestinians."Interesting perspectives can be identified in WesternGalilee (Mi'ilya area with large hydro - geologicalvulnerability) where a pig farming exists and a newinstallation for pig production is being studied, withsupervision of Northern District of Ministry of theEnvironment (Nazareth).In Mi'ilya, a Christian village of ancient tradition(with archeological site) near the villages of Ma'alot(Hebrew) and Tarshiha (Muslim), pig farming couldrepresent a positive model of integration of minorityChristians into Israeli society.The increase and improvement of pig farming andslaughter housing could become a reason fordevelopment of agricultural industries and for the
associated market, with increase of work and societystability of the area itself, as long as it respectsenvironment, city planning and tourism (olive tradefair etc.).
The second projectinvolves the compostingprocess for biologicalagriculture, optimizing theuse of industrial paper and
beverage cartons (with separation of polyethyleneand aluminum). This is being studied at Aimag awater and waste-management composting plant inModena (Italy), in partnership with Tetra Pak, underthe scientific supervision of Dr. Michael Raviv ofIsrael's Ministry of Agriculture, and with Scuola delParco di Monza (Italy). The environmental aim ofthis industrial research project is to improve theagronomic quality of soils that are poor in organicmatters, very common in Israel. The commercialfollow-up envisaged consists of improvement ofcompost quality both to sell the final product in Israeland to realize similar plants in Israel: in the latter casewe may imagine to incentive the municipal and agro- factory separate refuse collection to produce compost.These projects are in line with the priorities of EuropeanCommunity Funding Regulations, in particular topromote cross-border, international or regionalcooperation, favoring the peace process and the localrooting of state and government institutions andestablishments.These and other projects are eligible for fundingthrough the Italian Israeli Agreement on Industrial,Scientific and Technological R & D cooperation.www.crpa.it <>
4
Eco-Aware Agriculture: Know-how and Technology for Italian-Israeli Cooperation
Oby Pierpaolo Martini, AgronomistAn update from Italy on the progress of two projects from last October's Environmental Technologies Forum
Syntek Capital Israel (2001) Ltd.Dell'Ariccia ConsultingBank Hapolalim (Switzerland) Ltd.Bank Leumi Le-IsraelShinar, Shachor, Weissberger AttorneysJ.Kollek & Co. Law Offices & NotaryAccount ManagerBank Hapoalim Ltd.MS&P, Marketing Strategy and PromotionFLEXTEL S.p.A. Computing and Networking for InternetLerosh Investment Ltd.Plasson Ltd.Migdal Insurance Co. Ltd.Camtec Int. Ltd.A.S.L ConsultingUnited Mizrahi Bank Ltd.AccountantItalisraRepresentative of the Israel Export InstituteRepresentative of the Manufacturers Association of IsraelRepresentative of the Federation of Israeli Chambersof Commerce
Alon Zilkha, Secretary General Tel: 972-3-6202034www.italcham.org.il e-mail. [email protected]
ISRAEL-ITALY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRYELECTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAINTAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE:ITALY EXPANDS ITS COMMITMENT TONANOTECHNOLOGYT
ince the 19th century the ancient villageof Bet Gemal, located about three
kilometers to the south of the modern city ofBeth Shemesh, has been identified with theByzantine location Kaphargamala in whichthe tomb of St. Stephen, the first ChristianMartyr, was originally found. Within itsterritory, that belongs today to the DonBosco ' s Sa les ians from I ta ly, areapproximately four churches or Byzantinemonasteries whose remnants are still
recognizable. Two of them were discoveredin the last century: a church from the Vth orVIth centuries was found in 1917-1922 in BetGemal itself, and a rural church from the Vthcentury that was discovered in 1993 at thesite of Khirbet Fattir located about 1.2 kmaway from Bet Gemal. However, neither oneof the two churches has provided evidenceregarding the veneration of St. Stephen orabout the situation of his tomb in theByzantine period.Prof. A. Strus, who has conducted thearchaeological excavation at Khirbet Fattiron behalf of the Salesian Pontifical Universityat Rome, Italy, undertook a research programat Khirbet Jiljil in 1999, which is a site locatedabout 800 metres away from the Bet GemalMonastery.
The Palestine Exploration Fund explorers in theXIX century were the first to recognize the siteitself as an important Byzantine settlement, which- according to the testimony of the Salesian Fathers- had the remains of an ancient church. An earlierground survey made by specialists from theGeophysics Faculty of the University of Trieste,Italy, had indicated the presence of a curiousunderground foundation of a round monument.Thanks to the financial support of the Ministry forForeign Affairs of the Italian Republic and withthe logistical help of the Salesian community atthe Bet Gemal Monastery, an archaeologicalexcavation was undertaken in 1999 and since thenfive shorter excavation seasons were made in 2000-2001. As the result of this work, a round structurewith a diameter of 13.12 meters was uncovered.The exterior wall, 3.48 metres thick, surrounds aperfectly central room, also round in appearance,and these remains strongly suggest that it wasoriginally a monumental structure. On its southernside, instead of a wall, the semi-circular room wasseparated from the central area by a stylobate hewninto the rock. The central element of this strongconstruction was that of a round pit, almost threemeters in diameter, extending to the west of thesemi-circular room.However, from the first evidence that is emergingfrom the discovery of this structure, it is clear thatthe architectural remnants of this monument werelater adapted in the last phase of its use to createan installation belonging to a winery. This winerywas installed in the VIIth century, was damagedand again rebuilt; finally it was utterly destroyedat the end of the VIIth or in the first half of theVIIIth century. The ceramics, coins, as well assome other structural elements, especially thecircular stone slabs reused during the installationof the winery, indicate that the monument was builtfor another purpose altogether. One could statethat it was erected in the Vth century over an older,but simpler monument, of which only a threshold,two meters long and dating to the IVth century,has been found.
The architectural focal point for these constructionswas the place or the room that was later transformedinto the large round pit used to collect the must ofthe grape juice for fermentation. One could statethat it was made within a grotto, over two metersdeep, whose original roof was carved out in theVIIth century.It has been ascertained that the round basin in thecentral room of the monument, the channelconnecting it with the southern grottos, as well asthe basin in the floor of the grotto, were made atthe same time period and served for similarpurposes. We have to exclude as impossibleattempts to refer to these purposes as beingconnected to an industrial installation, such as awine- or oil-press.Despite any other evidence we contend that thishydraulic installation was made for religiouspurposes. The act of collecting water in anunderground structure and transferring it fromthere, points to the presence of a holy object here,
such as relics of a saint or saints, somewhere withinthis grotto. According to the very expansive beliefsof the Byzantine period, water or oil when touchinga holy object, or when collected from its vicinity,thus became holy and thereby came to obtainspecial therapeutical faculties. We cannot statewith certainty, which object was actually veneratedwithin the grotto, but the lateral niche,
5
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Achille Castiglioni, 1918-2002Archeology: Ancient Christian Mausoleum at KhirbetFattir (Bet Gemal) Excavated by Professor Strus
NEW EXCAVATIONS ATKHIRBET JILJIL - 2003
New excavations are being conducted at Khirbet Jiljilas a continuation of the earlier work. This new phaseof excavations is focused on a large rectangularstructure (approximately 40 metres square) whichfrom surface indications is fairly well preserved andit would appear to have had a chapel, judging by thedescription of a visitor to the site in the early part ofthe XXth century. The new work is a joint projectco-directed by Professor A. Strus of the SalesianUniversity in Rome, and Dr Shimon Gibson of theJerusalem Archaeological Field Unit in Jerusalem,and is being undertaken with the assistance of aprofessional back-up team: Silvia Krapiwko (FieldSupervisor), Dr Anna de Vincenz (Administrationand Pottery Analysis), Fadi Amirah (Surveyor) andRafi Lewis (Site Manager). The site is situated on agentle slope extending not far below Beit Jimal, andsome thirty metres to the south of the round structure
described previously. The idea behind the new workis to check on the potential of this ancient site forfuture excavations. Very little is actually known aboutthe site, except for some surface surveys. Was thisplace a village or monastery? Is this the place ofKaphargamala associated with Rabbi Gamliel andthe final resting place of Saint Stephne? Wanderingaround the site one can trace the outlines of a numberof ancient buildings, some quite large, by simplyfollowing the tops of walls. Surface pottery - coarsewares as well as fine wares - appear to date, as faras one can see, to the fourth to seventh centuries.Since a major battle is known to have taken place inthe region between Moslems and Christians in themid-seventh century, it is quite possible that thesettlement was abandoned round about that time.The new phase of excavations have been commencedwithin the largest building at the site. Thinking thatwe might hit the east end of the supposed chapel, aseries of five by five metre squares were excavatedacross the central part of the building. In advance ofthese operations and because of our fears of a
downpour of rain, a superb greenhouse with an archedceiling was erected across the entire area ofexcavation: four squares marked on the grid as H1-4. The volunteers gathered on the previous day - fromGermany, Norway, Poland, England and Australia - and the first thing that was done was to remove thevegetation. Large piles of stone came to light withsunken areas in between marking what we thinkmight be filled-in robber's trenches. Subsequent dayswere spent lowering the area and removing erodedsurface fills and backfills of the quarrymen. Duringthe course of the excavation, an intriguing steppedplatform and various rooms, some paved, wereuncovered. A coarse decorated mosaic floor was alsouncovered. A new map of the building was preparedat the time of the excavations. Carved lintels werealso drawn and detailed records were made of thestratigraphy of the building. The earliest pottery fromthe excavations dates from the Early Roman period,followed by Byzantine and Abbasid phases. Thereare high hopes regarding the outcome of this on-going excavation. <>
(cont. p. 6)
Khirbet Jiljil 2003: The first cleaning of a mosaic floor thatwas discovered on the south side of the excavation trench
Khirbet Jiljil 1999-2001: The monumental structure: remnantsof the grotto that were transformed into a vat.
over which the water wascollected in the first phase and by
which the round basin was hewn in the second one,seems to be a unique reason for the collecting ofthe water in this underground structure.Hence, we may conclude that the most satisfying
archaeological explanation is that the majesticround monument served originally as a funerarymonument of a saint (or saints) that were veneratedat this place. Its form fits very well with similarround Roman structures, known as mausolaea, thatwere known from Rome itself as well as from its
provinces, but that area rare in the Holy Land.Therefore the existence of this monument raisesnew questions concerning both the position of thevillage of Kaphargamala and regarding the situationof the Tomb of Saint Stephen.<>
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enice airport's new water terminal,designed by world famous architect
Frank O. Gehry, will be a modern glass, metaland wood structure reminiscent of billowingsails and waves.
Frank Gehry, famous in Europe for his creationof the Bilbao Guggenheim, has won a multitude ofawards over his forty-year career, including thePritzker Architecture Prize in 1989, considered oneof the world's top architectural accolades.Speaking at the public presentation of the designfor the Venice Gateway, which will link the airportwith the urban historical center, Gehry admitted hewas particularly excited at the prospect of workingin the lagooncity. "Until now,I always thoughtthat arriving inairports was afair ly banalexperience - I'dn e v e rconsidered thee m o t i o n a laspect before.But arriving inVenice for thefirst time provedto be an incredibly moving experience," he said."Although the Gateway won't be an actual copy ofthe historical city, I think it will recall Venice. "Ienvision it as an exuberant building," he added.The design, which has already received preliminaryapproval from the Venice Preservation Committee,
features a small piazza at theend of the lagoon with a five-star hotel. The hotel is dividedinto arms "symbolicallyopening out to the water andcity", which are intended torecall the city's historical linkswith the sea and travel. Thetwo wings will be connectedby a series of bridges crossingthe water, wrapped in glass and supporting a sinuouswood and metal framework reminiscent of sails.Water flowing beneath the raised structure of thehotel will lead to an internal dock with a ticket officeand waiting area.
The Venice Gateway, connected to the air terminaland parking lot by a covered moving walkway, willalso include restaurants, entertainment, a gym, stores,and a 9,000 square meter conference center andexhibition space. Although the shape will obviouslybe different from the air terminal, similar materials
will be used in order to provide aharmonious whole: glass, metaland wood inside, plaster for theexterior, and stone and tile flooring.Asked whether the sail motif ofthe Venice Gateway intentionallyechoed the sinuous design ofBilbao's Guggenheim, Gehrydenied any conscious resemblance.Recalling that architects tend to
leave a distinctive "signature" on their creations, hesuggested this was perhaps the case with theGateway. "I can't escape myself," he joked."Whatever I do my mark remains. But in this caseI think the only analogy would possibly be with the
Bart's College Performing Arts Center which Idesigned in New York. This also plays with the ideaof sails".If the design gets the go-ahead, it is expected totake between two to three years to complete, andwill cost around 80 million euro.<>
VGEHRY'S 'BILLOWING SAILS' FOR VENICE AIRPORT TERMINALGEHRY'S 'BILLOWING SAILS' FOR VENICE AIRPORT TERMINAL
t a l y ' sP i e r l u i g i
Collina was theworld's best refereefor the fifth straighty e a r i n 2 0 0 2 ,according to theG e r m a n - b a s e dI n t e r n a t i o n a lFedera t ion fo rFootball History andStatistics. Collina,who refereed the2002 World Cup final in Yokohama betweenBrazil and Germany, was far and away the mostpopular choice for the international jury of theIFFHS, which is made up of soccer journalistsand experts.<>
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COLLINA VOTED BEST REFEREEIN WORLD FOR 5TH YEAR
(cont. from p. 5)
Archeology: Ancient Christian Mausoleum at Khirbet Fattir (Bet Gemal) Excavated by Professor Strus
h e I t a l o - I s r a e l i S c i e n t i f i cCommission, jointly chaired by
Ambassador Antonio Badini of Italy'sForeign Ministry and Chief ScientistEliezer Opper, convened in Rome lastDecember. A total of 1.4 million wasapproved for projects presented bycompanies and research organizationsselected for financing under the recentlysigned bilateral cooperation agreement.
The rules for submission of proposals, which arepublished in the main newspapers, are alsoavailable from the website of Italy's ForeignMinistry. During the first half of 2003 a newselection of projects will be considered for up to
1.5 million further financing. The Commissionunderlined the importance of promotingworkshops, seminars and other events in 2003aimed at reinforcing cooperation between Italianand Israeli companies and research institutions.www.esteri.it/eng/opportun/compet/index.htm<>
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8 NEW ISRAELI-ITALIAN R&DPROJECTS APPROVED AT 1.4MILLION INVESTMENT
Italian Trade Fair Calendar March-April 2003
FIERA MILANO IN HEBREW - News, Exhibition calendar, and much more at www.fieramilano.co.il
24 April - 04 MayFlorenceINTERNATIONALMARKET SHOW OFHANDICRAFTS -www.firenze-expo.it
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low Food was founded in 1986 in Bra(Cuneo), in the Italian region of Piedmont,
by Carlo Petrini, its current president. It is ane d u c a t i o n a lo rgan iza t ionded ica ted tostewardship ofthe land andeco log ica l lys o u n d f o o dproduction; to
the revival of the kitchen and the table as centersof pleasure, culture, and community; to theinvigoration and proliferation of regional,seasonal culinary traditions; and to living a
slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.Slow Food's aim is to defend biodiversity,provide food and taste education, promote amodel of sustainable agriculture, and disseminatea food culture based on the concept of pleasurefor all. A nonprofit organization, Slow Foodboasts about 80,000 members worldwide, halfof them in Italy and the rest in 80 countries.Slow Food promotes major international eventssuch as the Salone del Gusto and Cheese, andalso performs vigorous lobby activities (witnessthe manifestos on biotechnologies, transgenicvines, and raw milk cheese).A central concern for Slow Food is tasteeducation, which is promoted on four levels:
the organization of Taste Workshops (veritablelectures with tastings held by experts on specificcategories of foods and beverages); the Masterof Food program of 20 courses on as many foodand beverage categories, devised for enthusiastsof all ages and active all over Italy; the schooltaste education program for pupils andteachers, operational in many Italian regions;and the University of Gastronomic Sciencesin Bra (Cuneo) and Colorno (Parma), the firstinternational structure of its kind to use acombined scientific-cultural approach to trainexperts in the fields of agribusiness, eno-gastronomy, and sustainable agriculture andzootechnics. www.slowfood.it <>
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Watch Out Fast Food!Italy is the headquarters of Slow Food, an international organization dedicated to maintainingand preserving local culinary traditions worldwide
Fiera di Verona (Veronafiere), one of Italy's leading exhibitioncenters, celebrated its centenary in 1998. Today Veronafiereis a highly dynamic and flexible organization, operating forthe globalization of world trade in the challenging context ofinternational competition. Since its establishment, Veronafierehas been a leading player in the agricultural and food sectors,
and has gone on to take a strategic role in such varied fieldsas the construction industry, logistics, furnishing, health andwellbeing, sport, tourism and the leisure industry.Ente Autonomo per le Fiere di VeronaViale del lavoro, 8 - C.P.525 - 37135 VeronaTel. +39 045 8298111 - Fax +39 045 8298288 www.veronafiere.it <>
6 - 9 March 2003Fieragricola/Agrifood -105th InternationalAgricultural and AnimalFarming Exhibitionwww.fieragricola.com
14 - 17 March 2003Eudi Show - UnderwaterSport Exhibitionwww.enolitech.com
10 - 14 April 2003Enolitech - InternationalExhibition of Technologiesfor Viticolture, Oenologyand for Olive Growing andOlive Oil Productionwww.enolitech.com
10 - 14 April 2003SOL - 9th InternationalExhibition of olive oil,virgin and extra-virgin oliveoilswww.veronafiere.it/sol
25 April - 4 May 2003Tesori dal tempo - Biennialantiques exhibitionwww.veronafiere.it/tesoridaltempo
Fiera di Verona
E V E N T S I N I T A L Y
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Rome in JerusalemExhibition of Photographsby Tiberius Zwi KellerMarch 2 - 28, 2003 - Hebrew University of JerusalemBeit Belgia, Safra Campus, Givat Ram
Jerusalem and Rome, two centers of religiousand spiritual observance, two cities whereheaven and earth meet, where what is abovehas joined with what is below, two cities underthe shadow of God. Zvi Keller's photographsof Eternal Rome, exhibited in the Holy City,bring the spiritual affinities between thesetwo centers of western civilization into relief.Details at 03-725.1917 or 02-566.0192
Matteo Masiello:Exhibition of Italian Post-Modernist PaintingsMarch 13, 2003 at 19.30Givatayim Theatre
The post-modernist Italian artist MatteoMasiello, winner of several national andinternational competitions, will beexhibiting his works for the first timein Israel. His many masterpieces hangin numerous Italian and internationalmuseums as well as in many privatecollections.
A n g e l i c a S e p e -" N ap l e s . . . L ove a n dHappiness"March 27, 2003 at 20.00 - MuseumU. Nahon, JerusalemMarch 28, 2003 at 22.00 - GivatayimTheatre, Givatayim
This recital, comprising 4musicians (guitar, piano, mandolinand percussion) and singerAngelica Sepe, will offer the chance to hear, first hand, the evolutionof Neapolitan music, from classical to modern times. There is a particularemphasis on the per iod between the 1700' s and 1900' s .
66th Maggio Musicale FiorentinoMay 11 - July 1st 2003, Florence
Founded by Vittorio Gui in 1933, the Maggio Musicaleis the most important music festival in Italy as well asbeing of enormous international prestige. Created as atriennial event, it became a yearly festival from 1937onwards and has been one of the indispensable appointmentsfor all music lovers for over sixty years. This year'sperformances include Beethoven's Fidelio (Mehta),Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito (Bolton) and Verdi'sOtello (Mehta).Teatro Comunale Tel. +39-055.21.11.58 / 21.35.35www.maggiofiorentino.com
International Iris Show1-20 May 2003, Florence
In May every yeargardeners from allover the world flockto Florence's PiazzaleMichelangelo, as therenowned Giardinodell'Iris opens itsgates to the publica n d h o s t s t h eInternational Iriscompetition of theyear. Individualblooms are judgedon the basis of theircolor, shape, aromaand resistance tovarious diseases, anda special prize goesto the specimen
which most closely resembles the Iris in the coat of armsof the city itself. Expect beautiful flowers, meticulouslyrefined through generations and generations by thecareful hands of their keepers.Florence Tourist Office Tel. +39 055 29 08 32 <>
Impressionism: Portraits and FiguresMarch 8th - July 6th 2003, Vittoriano-Rome
The exhibit is composed of themasterpieces of the most lovedartists, Monet, Degas, Renoir,Pissarro, Van Gogh and Morisot.All have been reunited underone roof and under one singulartheme. The paintings togethercreate a type of mural depictingFrench society in the years ofthe impressionistic movement.
Italian Tourist Office Tel. +39 06 488 991
The Vespa CollectionPiaggio "Agnelli" MuseumUntil March 16 2003, Pontedera (PI)
An Exhibitionfeaturing 160original films,pa in t ings ,
posters, catalogues, calendars and TV commercialsdating back to the Vespa's launch in 1946. Organizersat Piaggio, the company which produces the scooter,say they wanted to highlight how advertising campaignsover the years have enabled the Vespa to maintain itspopularity with successive generations through subtlechanges in image. Inaugurated on the 29th March 2000,the Piaggio Museum occupies 3,000 sq. m. of what usedto be the company tool shop in one of the oldest buildingsin Pontedera, to preserve the historic memory of themost important metal-mechanical company in the centre-south of Italy. The Museum's halls display Vespa andGilera collections alongside the most significant ofPiaggio's numerous products, including examples ofthe most famous motorcycles from the two-ring Gilerabrand, including 1950s models that kindled the dreamsof an entire generation of sports enthusiasts.www.museopiaggio.com/english
Formula One: San Marino Grand Prix20 April 2003, Bologna
The fourth race of theFormula One season takesplace at Imola in theRepublic of San Marino.Since its inauguration in1950, it has attracted thevery best talents in theworld of motor racing. As
a spectacle it is unsurpassed. The sheer speed of the carsis hard to comprehend, and the noise from the track isalmost deafening. It represents the pinnacle of man'smotoring achievement and the epitome of his love affairwith speed. [email protected]
Explosion of the Cart20 April 2003, Florence
Every year on the sameday perfectly saneFlorentine citizensgather in the Piazza delDuomo to watch adove-shaped rocket,called the 'Colombina',fly out of the famousDuomo and ignite ahuge wooden cart-structure in the squareoutside. The rockett ravels out of theDuomo along a wire,sets fire to the hugearray of fireworksattached to the Carroand returns to the church
the way it came. If this complex ritual goes smoothly,good luck is ensured for the city, not only with harvestsbut in the everyday life and business of its citizens.Florence Tourist Office Tel. +39 055 29 08 32
