‘Declaration of Intent’ onc o m m u n i c a t i o n

infrastructure, computer andnetwork security was signed inJerusalem by the Minister ofCommunications, Hon. MaurizioGasparri and the Israeli DeputyPrime Minister and Minister ofCommunications, Ehud Olmert(photo).Accompanying Minister Gasparriduring his visit to Israel on May 9-10 was

Undersecretary of State Hon.Giancarlo Innocenzi, and al a r g e d e l e g a t i o n o frepresentatives from theCommunications Authority,T V c o m p a n i e s ( R A I ,M e d i a s e t ) , s a t e l l i t ebroadcas ters , te lecomcompanies, and networksecurity experts.Hon Gasparri was received

in the Knesset by the Speaker and

Flight AZ

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From July 1 till October 30 2004 Alitalia will be the firstEU carrier to operate three daily flights to and from Israel.The inauguration of a third daily connection between Italyand Israel marks a happy return to the schedule in forcebefore September 11, 2001, and demonstrates a reneweddemand from Italian travellers as well as Alitalia'scommitment to the Israeli market. www.alitalia.co.il <>

New FlightNew Schedule

I t i s a r e a lpleasure to availmyself of this stage– the pages of ourNotizie Italiane - andwarmly greet all ofyou.

I am honoredtha t the I ta l ianGovernment has

chosen me to represent Italy in Israel, and Iam looking forward to dealing with thechallenges and the responsibilities that thisappointment entails.

The privileged character of the relationsbetween Italy and Israel is not incidental, noris it temporary; yet even the strongestfriendships demand constant attention. Iintend to contribute my share in making theties between Italy and Israel ever strongerand closer.

Allow me to say that, during my longyears of service, I have rarely encounteredsuch expressions of friendliness and passiontowards my country as I have noticed in Israel.This should also be attributed, I believe, tothe Italians who have chosen to live here orto divide their lives between these two mostbeautiful countries, and constitute the mostnatural and effective bridge between them.

These few lines are – I am confident –only the beginning of a long and fruitfuldialogue with the Israeli public.

The Embassy is doing its utmost toimprove access to and availability of dataand updates by means of Notizie Italiane, ofour new and advanced telephone system, andof our website. I certainly hope that thesemeasures of communication, together withpersonal meetings as a result of the frequentactivities of the Embassy, will ensure themaximal accessibility of the Embassy foryour convenience

I look forward to meeting you,exchanging opinions, and learning how we- the staff at the Embassy and myself - canassist and support all bilateral endeavors.

Toda raba and Arrivederci

S a n d ro D e B e r n a rd i n

NOTIZIE ITALIANENewsle t t er o f the Embassy o f I ta ly in I srae l No. 30 July 2004

1

(Cont p. 2)

D e a r F r i e n d s ,

t a l y ' s M i n i s t e r o fEducation, University and

Research, Hon. Letizia Moratti,visited Israel on May 30 – June1. The Minister held meetingswith Education Minister LimorLivnat, Finance MinisterBenyamin Netanyahu, Scienceand Technology Minister EliezerSandberg (photo) and DeputyPrime Minister, Ehud Olmert, aswell as with Labor Party leaderShimon Peres.

Minister Moratti was guest of honor at the IsraelGateway international economic conferencewhere, together with Minister Sandberg, she

presided over the Italy-IsraelR&D Day and presented anoverview of the new Italianscientific districts. This wasfollowed by a working lunchwith a group of major Israeliventure capitalists.Minister Moratti opened hervisit at Yad Vashem, whereshe placed a wreath in theHall of Remembrance. Shevisited the Hebrew University

of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute ofScience in Rehovot. A dinner for the Ministerwas held on May 31 and attended by MinisterSandberg as well as economic, scientific andacademic leaders. Minister Moratti (Cont p.3)

h e I t a l i a nMinister of the

Environment and LandProtection Hon. AlteroMatteoli (photo) is duein Israel from June 29t o J u l y 1 , a t t h einvitation of the IsraeliMinister for Science and

Technology and acting Minister forEnvironment Hon. Eliezer Sandberg.

This mission by Minister Matteoli is intendedto mark a new breakthrough in the intensescientific cooperation in environmental issuesbetween Italy and Israel. In particular, six jointprojects are currently being developed underthe cooperation agreement signed last yearbetween the Italian Ministry for Environmentand Tel Aviv University. A number of projectsand seminars have also been held in theframework of the Bilateral R&D Agreementbetween Italy and Israel. <>

Alitalia increases flights to Israel: new schedule till October 30

Minister Moratti: Boost for scientific collaboration

Minister of Environment Matteoli visiting Israel

Minister Gasparri: Closer cooperation in Telecom, ITA

I

T

Special Rates for July & August

former Communications Minister ReuvenRivlin. During his meeting with Min. Gasparri, MrOlmert stressed the good relations between theItalian and the Israeli governments, and withHon. Gasparri in particular, who first visitedIsrael during the Israel Telecom 2002conference. Hon. Gasparri, in accepting Minister Olmert'sinvitation to attend the 'Israel Telecom 2004'conference in November, invited Mr Olmert tothe 'Sat Expo' exhibition of satellite technology(see p.8), to be held in Vicenza from 30September to 2 October. ''Closer ties in thetechnology field", Hon Gasparri pointed out, "isalso a political choice made by the businessesand governments of the two countries.” The Minister addressed specific points, suchas the l ibe ra l i za t ion o f the I s rae l itelecommunications sector, the state of

legislation in Italy regarding the introduction ofdigital terrestrial TV by 2006, and internationalcooperation on issues of common interest in thearea of network security. The Minister then held further meetings withrepresentatives from Israel's business and culturalsectors, organized in cooperation with ICE, theIsrael-Italy Chamber of Commerce and the IsraelExport and International Cooperation Institute,and inaugurated the Jews of Rome exhibitionat Jerusalem's Nahon Museum of Italian JewishArt. Greeting the Minister, the President of theAssociation of Italian Jews in Jerusalem, Arch.David Cassuto, expressed his community'sappreciation for Italy's balanced positionregarding the Middle East question, and for itscommitment to and recognition of the ItalianJewish community in general through theinstitution of a local section of ComItEs, thecommittee of Italians abroad.

Minister Gasparri spoke of the significantcontribution by Italy's Jewish community to thepolitical, scientific, economic and cultural lifeof the country, and reaffirmed the government'sdetermination to combat all and any resurgenceof anti-Semitism. In this context he also recalledhis personal involvement in the publication ofa joint I tal ian-Israel i postage stampcommemorating the centenary of Rome's GreatSynagogue (see p.3). The Minister's program concluded with abilateral seminar on May 10 that featured a richprogram of contributions by Italian and Israeliexperts, and visits to several industrialenterprises. Chargé d’Affaires Luca FranchettiPardo underlined the value of the excellenteconomic and political relations between thetwo countries, with special reference to theTelecom sector. <>

(cont. from p. 1)

series of industrial, scientific and culturalevents entitled "Technology and

Creativity - Italy in Israel 2004" was held lastMay and June, organized by the Embassy incollaboration with major Italian institutionsin Israel (Italian Cultural Institutes of Tel Avivand Haifa, ICE of Tel Aviv, the Israel-ItalyChamber of Commerce, the Nahon Museum ofJerusalem, the Dante Alighieri Society ofJerusalem and the Israeli branch of the

Accademia Italiana della Cucina).The program was designed topromote Italian industrial,scientific and cultural relationswith Israel through a wide rangingagenda of events that characterized, in little overa month, the ongoing state of bilateral relations.A specially designed logo (reproduced here)unified the events, which are described elsewherein this newsletter.

The Embassy alsoco l l abora ted wi thHamashbir in theorganization of a 'Madein Italy' promotional

month in six of the company's outlets in differentareas of the country. Hamashbir intends to repeatthis initiative in the autumn with an even largerpresentation of 'Made in Italy' products.<>

ta ly ' s Fes ta de l laR e p u b b l i c a w a s

celebrated in Israel by ar e c e p t i o n a t t h eAmbassador's residence inRamat Gan. The over 1000guests included several

members of the Knesset as well as leadingpersonalities from Israel's economic, political,cultural, religious and social circles.

Greeting the guests were Chargé d’AffairesCouns . Luca Franchet t i Pardo ,Ambassador-designate Sandro DeBernardin and, representing the Governmentof Israel, Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz,all of whom emphasized the excellent stateof bilateral relations between Israel and Italyas well as the growing agenda of cooperativeprojects in all sectors.National anthems of both countries wereperformed by soprano Claudia Toti

Lombardozzi (wearing a red dress designed byEgon von Furstenberg, see p.7), who thenpresented a selection of Italian songs muchappreciated by the public.<>

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2004

2

AItalian month in Israel

he President of the Supreme Court ofIsrael, Prof. Aharon Barak, hosted a

delegation from the Italian ConstitutionalCourt on 16-19 May. The Italians were ledby Vice President Prof. Valerio Onida andProf. Carlo Mezzanotte, together withjudges Dr. Guido Neppi Modona, Dr.Francesco Amirante, Prof. RomanoVaccarella, Secretary General Couns.Pierfelice Pratis.The visit, which included a homage at YadVashem, comes within the framework ofcollaboration between the two countries'juridical institutions, guarantors of thef o u n d i n g p r i n c i p a l s o f t h e t w odemocracies.<>

T

Italian ConstitutionalCourt visits Israel

Italy celebrates National DayI

Minister Gasparri: Closer cooperation in Telecom and IT security

Ambassador-designate Sandro De Bernardin celebrates NationalDay with Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz

Chargé d’Affaires Couns. Luca Franchetti Pardogreets Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz

Minister Moratti: Boost for scientific collaboration

n May 20, at aceremony held in

Jerusalem's NahonMuseum, headquartersof the Association ofJews of Italian Origin, amemorial postage stampwas issued jointly by theItalian and Israeli postalservices commemoratingone hundred years sincethe construction ofR o m e ' s G r e a tS y n a g o g u e . T h eceremony was held in the presence of DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of Trade, Industry,Labor and Communications Ehud Olmert, andof Luca Franchetti Pardo, Chargé d’Affairesof the Embassy.

In his remarks Minister Olmert referred topublication of the stamp as yet another tangibledemonstration of the excellent relations betweenIsrael and Italy, and underlined his appreciation

f o r t h e I t a l i a nGovernment's positionswhich, "thanks to thepersonal involvement ofP r i m e M i n i s t e rBerlusconi", have madeItaly, together with the US,one of Israel's staunchestfriends. Olmert also dwelton the strong ties ofcollaboration between theM i n i s t r i e s o fCommunications of bothcountries, evidenced by the

recent visit to Israel of Minister Gasparri. Chargé d'Affaires Couns. Luca FranchettiPardo stressed the particular bond created bythe simultaneous presentation in Rome andJerusalem of the stamp commemorating 100years of Rome's central synagogue, a projectstrongly supported by Minister Gasparri and hisIsraeli counterpart Olmert. Franchetti Pardoadded that the construction of the synagogue inthe heart of the capital was a visible symbol of

the complete integration of the Roman Jewishcommunity into the history and life of the cityin particular and of Italy as a whole. The President of the Association of Jews ofItalian Origin, Arch. David Cassuto, expressedhis especial thanks to Minister Gasparri forhaving so graciously supported the com-memoration of the construction of Rome'ssynagogue, which "symbolizes the recognitionby the city of Rome and by Italy of the fullemancipation of the Jews." <>

3

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2004

Edited by:The Embassy of Italy in Israel(Economic and Commercial Section)

p.1p.1p.1p.2p.2p.2p.3p.3p.4p.4p.4p.4p.5p.5p.5p.5p.5p.6p.6p.6p.6p.7p.7p.8p.8

Message from Ambassador De BernardinMinisters Gasparri, Moratti, Matteoli in IsraelAlitalia increases flights to IsraelItalian month in IsraelItalian Constitutional Court visits IsraelItaly celebrates National DayAlenia delivers first EurofighterRome's Great Synagogue celebrates centenaryForum on Industrial DesignVespa: an Italian symbol in Tel AvivItalian-Israeli oncology workshopDan David Award goes to RomeConcert in AccoItalian music in Beer ShevaFestival Felicia BlumenthalConference on the Napoleonic CodeAll roads lead to RomeItaly scores in Blue Flag 2004Italian wines top the world's bestVinitaly 2004New mission to Israel by Veneto regionEgon von Furstenberg dies at 58Events in IsraelEvents in ItalyFestival Calendar

Trade Tower, 25 HaMered Street, Tel Aviv 68125Te l : 0 3 - 5 1 0 . 4 0 0 4 F a x : 0 3 - 5 1 0 . 0 2 3 5www.italian-embassy-israel.org econ3@italemb.org.il

l e n i aAeronautica,

a Finmeccanicac o m p a n y, h a s

recently delivered its first EurofighterTyphoon aircraft to an operational base ofthe Italian Air Force.The 'Typhoon' (IT002) entered into service atthe 4th Squadron in Grosseto and will graduallyreplace the F-104s used for the defence of thenational air space. Present at the DeliveryCeremony were Gen. S.A. Pasquale Garribba,

Commander of the AirSquadron, and CarmeloCosentino, ExecutiveVice President andG e n e r a l M a n a g e rMilitary Programmes ofAlenia Aeronautica. Thedelivery of the IT002fo l lows the IT001delivered last February, whose task is to trainthe Aircraft Maintenance Division Personnel ofthe Cameri Base (Novara). The Eurofighter

represents the most advancedEuropean fighter developed andp r o d u c e d b y A l e n i aAeronautica. The Italiancompany is responsible for thedesign and production of the leftwing, the rear fuselage, thedesign and integration of someon-board systems, and of the

integration and final assembly of all the aircraftto be delivered to the Italian Air Force.www.eurofighter.com<>

Rome's Great Synagogue celebrates centenaryO

AAlenia Aeronautica delivers first Eurofighter to Italian Air Force

presented several initiativesaimed at intensifying the already

excellent state of bilateral scientific cooperation,which were enthusiastically received by herIsraeli interlocutors, who expressed theirreadiness to promote new formulas for mutualcooperation. Two joint declarations were signedwith Ministers Sandberg and Olmert aimed atdeveloping collaboration in sectors of reciprocalinterest; agreements were also signed with theHebrew University, the Weizmann Institute, theTechnion, and the Universities of Haifa and TelAviv. The Italy-Israel R&D day, held in the contextof the conference, represented an occasion forthe Minister to introduce the new Italian scientificdistricts as an investment and researchopportunity to around 60 leading Israeli venturecapitalists, financial institutions, high techcompanies and representatives from academiaand research. Discussions focused on ways inwhich Israel could constitute an ideal partner

for Italy's scientific districts. Among those takingpart in the dialogue were the Italian Chargéd’Affaires, Couns. Luca Franchetti Pardo,Israel's Science Minister Eliezer Sandberg, thePresident of Turin's Wireless district, Prof.Rodolfo Zich, the President of the Israel-ItalyChamber of Commerce, Dr. Ronni Benatoffand the Venture Capitalist Dr. Ron Tira(ATLAS). At the Israel Gateway conference MinisterMoratti focused her presentation on the politicsof education and on support for scientificresearch as the main challenges for theinternational community. At the same conferencethe Embassy, together with the Israel-ItalyChamber of Commerce, the Italian ExportInstitute and Sviluppo Italia, and the Agenciesfor the Development of the Piedmont and Lazioregions, manned a well-visited display boothaimed at presenting investment opportunities inItaly to the Israeli public. <>

(cont. from p. 1)

he first Italian-Israeli Forum onIndustrial Design was held at the Shenkar

College of Engineering and Design in RamatGan on 18 - 20 May. The event was organizedby Shenkar College in collaboration with theEmbassy of Italy and Italy's Association ofIndustrial Design (ADI), within the frameworkof the bilateral agreement on Industrial,Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

The Forum wasdivided into threes e s s i o n sdedicated to thefollowing themes:

The Secret of Italian Design; Design as anIndustrial Tool; Academic Design Education. Thesecond session, Design as an Industrial Tool, wasorganized by Zvi Yemini of the Manufacturers’Association of Israel, and included theparticipation of several enterprises. Theconference, which attracted over 300 Israeliacademics, institutional officials and entre-preneurs, received widespread coverage in thepress.

At the opening session on May 18 Chargéd'Affaires Luca Franchetti Pardo underlinedthe importance of the Forum as part of the Italian

Month in Israel organizedby the Embassy, ande m p h a s i z e d m a j o rdevelopments in Italianindus t r i a l des ign , soappreciated worldwide notonly for its innovation butalso for raising the quality ofMade in Italy products.

Presentations by Italiandesign professionals arousedconsiderable interest. Israeliexperts, aside from a largegroup from the ShenkarC o l l e g e , i n c l u d e dcommercial designers as wellas academics representing institutions such as theUniversity of Tel Aviv, the Technion andJerusalem's Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.

A significant moment during the proceedingswas the signing of an important protocol ofunderstanding between ADI, represented by itsPresident Dr. Carlo Forcolini, and the ShenkarCollege of Engineering and Design, representedby its President Prof. Amotz Weinberg, to createthe International Design Observatory (photo).The project is intended to reinforce cultural tiesbetween Israel and Italy and to promote industrial

design as a means ofimproving the quality oflife.

T h e I t a l i a ndelegation, led by Dr.Carlo Forcolini, President of ADI, included Dr.Giuliano Molineri ,President of Frimark;A r c h i t e c t L u i s aBocchietto; Dr. EnricoB a l e r i , d e s i g n e r ;Alessandro Arnoldi,Director General ofM R & D ; M a r c oCappellini; Prof. Paolo

Chiabert, Politecnico di Torino; AlessandroChiarato, Director of the Istituto Europeo delDesign of Milan; Prof. Marco De Michelis,Istituto Universitario di Architettura of Venice;Prof. Medardo Chiapponi, Istituto Universitariodi Architettura of Venice; Prof. Raffaello Levi,Politecnico di Torino; Dr. Antonio MacchiCassia, Università di Milano; Architect PierluigiMolinari, Università di Milano; Marc Sadler,Designer; Richard Sapper, Designer; MaurizioStecco, Managing Partner of Nexus GlobalPartners and Antonio Verderi, CEO of Oluce.<>

4

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2004

T

he exhibition, organized with the support ofthe Shenkar College of Engineering and

Design in Ramat Gan, the Piaggio “GiovanniAlberto Agnelli” Museum of Pontedera, andsponsored by Ofer Avni-Ltd., sole importers ofPiaggio in Israel, opened on May 18.The exhibition in Ramat Gan's Museum of Art focusedon the evolution of the Vespa since 1946, and portrayedthrough examples, models and patents one of the mostvisible and significant expressions of Italian design.The show included a compilation of the most

significant marketing and advertising strategies usedto promote the Vespa, with original film publicityfootage, interviews with central characters responsiblefor its development, as well as its role in the filmindustry. The opening of the exhibition was attended byover 200 guests including designers, academics,entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. The President of theVespa Club, Roberto Leardi, expressed the wish thatIsrael, which includes a number of Vespa hobbyists,would soon open its own branch of the Vespa club.<>

Vespa: an Italian symbol in Tel AvivT

(photo from left) Alex Padwa, Head of the Department of Industrial Design, Shenkar College; Professor Amotz Weinberg, President, Shenkar College; Mr. Luca Franchetti Pardo,Chargé d'Affaires, The Embassy of Italy and Mr. Moshe Golos, Vice Chairman of the International Board of Governors, Shenkar College, at the opening of the Vespa Exhibition

Dr. Carlo Forcolini, ADI President (left), andProfessor Amotz Weinberg, President of ShenkarCollege of Engineering and Design, holding thedeclaration establishing the International DesignObservatory

Forum on Industrial Design

he Italian-Israeli Oncology Workshop was held inHaifa last May 7, organized by the Rambam Medical

Center in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy withinthe framework of the Italo-Israeli agreement on scientific,industrial and technological cooperation.The workshop comprised fourteen scientific presentationswhich were followed by lively discussions and provided anopportunity for participants to compare different themes.The Italian delegation contributed examples of experiencesin research and clinical experiments. At the end of theconference it was agreed to examine the possibility ofcollaboration in various sectors of interest between theRambam Medical Center and the Istituto Regina Elena ofRome. The Italian delegation, which also visited the ItalianHospital in Haifa was led by Prof. Francesco Cognetti,Scientific Director of the Istituto Regina Elena.<>

TItalian-Israeli Oncology Workshop

he DAN DAVID PRIZE annuallyawards 3 prizes of US$ 1 million

each for achievements having anoutstanding scientific, technological,cultural or social impact on our world.Each year fields are chosen within thethree Time Dimensions - Past, Presentand Future. The Dan David Prize is ajoint, international enterprise, endowedby the Dan David foundation andheadquartered at Tel Aviv University. Thisyear's winners in the 'Historical Legacy'section of the prize were announced onMay 16 and awarded to the cities of Rome,Jerusalem and Istanbul.

The three cities were chosen for theirrelevance as reference points for threemajor monotheistic religions and for theatmosphere of religious tolerance thatcharacterizes them. They were also citedfor their primary role in the history anddevelopment of mankind. The municipality of Rome will donatethe prize money to the Casa delle Cultureproject which involves the creation of amultimedia center in which the multiplicityof cultures in Rome from antiquity to thepresent will be on display.

www.dandavidprize.com<>

Prestigious Dan David Award goes to RomeT

All Roads Lead to Rome?' opened atJerusalem's Van Leer Institute on

April 29. The calendar of events wasorganized by the Committee of theDante Al ighier i Soc ie ty incollaboration with the ItalianEmbassy of Italy, the Italian CulturalInstitute and the Consulate Generalin Jerusalem, under the patronage ofthe municipalities of Rome and Jerusalem.

The manifestation, which lasted for twomonths, included a series of theatrical and

scientific events that cemented the culturaltwinship between the two cities. Thiswas the second edition of the event; thefirst was held last year and dedicated tothe city of Venice. The inaugural evening

was held on April 29, in the presence ofAmbassador Giulio Terzi and a large public,

and included a conference on the history of

Rome that featured specialists from all the mainIsraeli academic institutions. The secondevening took place on May 2 at the JerusalemCinematheque and featured the inaugurationby Mrs. Alisa Benabu, coordinator of theevent, and Prof. Lucio Izzo, Director of theItalian Cultural Insitute, of the exhibition ofphotographs dedicated to the eternal city bythe Hungarian artist Tiberius Zvi Keller.<>

‘All roads lead to Rome in cultural twinning with Jerusalem

n May 26 theHaifa section of

the Italian CulturalI n s t i t u t e , i ncollaboration with theEmbassy and theFranciscans of theCustodia di Terrasanta,presented a concert bythe Baroqu'Ensemblecommemorating 900years of the presence oft h e I t a l i a n S e aRepublics (Genoa, Venice, Pisa and Amalfi) in thehistoric city of Acco. The concert took place in theCrusader's Refectory, the most imposing hall withinthe medieval fortress of Acco. Attending the concert, which was warmlyappreciated by a capacity crowd of over 250, werethe Latin Patriach Vicar of the Holy Land and Bishopof Nazareth, Mons. Giacinto Marcuzzo, as wellas representatives from local authorities and fromthe four quarters of Acco, which still maintain visibletraces of buildings constructed during the period ofthe four Sea Republics and which, significantly, stillcarry their original Arabic names translated from'genovese' or 'pisano'. The Baroqu’Ensemble, directed by MaestroRenato Beretta (photo), who is also a conductorat Venice's La Fenice, is composed of musiciansfrom La Fenice and Milan's La Scala. The programconsisted of major works from the Italian baroqueperiod, from Pergolesi to Corelli, Benedetto Marcelloand Vivaldi, as well as sacred music by Verdi andthe Cantico delle Creature set to music by MaestroStella.<>

5

concert of Italian music from the 15thto the 17th centuries was given on May

27 at the Auditorium of Ben-GurionUniversity in Beersheba by the 'Bnei Shir'choir, directed by Maestro Eri Doron.

Organized by the Italian Cultural Institute ofTel Aviv in collaboration with Ben-GurionUniversity of the Negev, the concert includeda wide selection of musical items from theperiod and was enthusiastically received bya capacity audience. In attendance wereleading personalities from the Universityincluding the President, Prof. Avishai

Braverman, the Rector Prof. JimmyWeinblatt and the Chairman of Faculty ofSocial Science Prof. Avishai Henik."Italian cultural activities in Beer Sheva areexpanding all the time," said Chargéd’Affaires Luca Franchetti Pardo, referringto collaboration between the University andthe Italian Foreign Ministry, which supportsa faculty lectureship, and the CulturalInstitute, which manages the opening of newcourses directly from Tel Aviv, and whichintends to increment its activities with thepresentation of important new exhibitionsand events in the near future.<>

O

he 6th edition of the InternationalFelicia Blumental Festival opened

May 17 at the Recanati Auditorium of theTel Aviv Museum of Art and was dedicatedthis year to the city of St. Petersburg.

The opening concert, entitled 'Italians at St.Petersburg', underlined the role played byItalian musicians, in addition to architectsand painters, in the development of the cityof Peter the Great. Protagonist of the eveningwas the Italian counter-tenor RobertoBalconi, director of the Fantazyas Ensemblewhich accompanied the singer in an evocativejourney through 16th and 17th century music.Maestro Roberto Balconi is one of the mostsophisticated performers of ancient music

and has collaborated with musicians such asSir John Eliot Gardiner, Mark Minkowski,Andrea Marcon, Alan Curtis and GustavLeonhardt. In 2000 he founded Fantazyas,composed of Italian specialists in ancient andbaroque music, which performs a variety ofwell-known and less famous compositions.The group was warmly applauded by anattentive public, particularly for their renditionof Vivaldi's Stabat Mater. The Israelimandolin player Avi Avital, who joined thegroup, demonstrated an unusual technicalmastery of his instrument with a deeply feltand sensitive interpretation of Paisiello'sMandolin Concerto as well as Vivaldi'sConcerto in D major. <>

AConcert in Acco

Felicia Blumental FestivalT

conference held on May 30-June 1 at theUniversity of Haifa, organized by Profs.

Alfredo Rabello and Sylviane Colombo(Faculty of Law), in collaboration with theItalian Cultural Insti tute of Haifa.commemorated the bicentenary of theNapoleonic Civil Code (1804-2004), whichrepresents a reference model on civil rightsfor Israeli and European legislators alike.

The inaugural session was opened bypresentations from the Rector of HaifaUniversity Prof. Aaron Ben-Zeev, the FrenchConsul General in Haifa M. Marc Flattot, thePresident of the Israeli Supreme Court Prof.Aharon Barak, the President of the FrenchSupreme Court M. Guy Canivet and,representing the Embassy of Italy in Israel, DrEdoardo Crisafulli, Director of the Haifa section

of the Italian Cultural Institute. A largecontingent of Italian academics also attendedthe conference from Università Statale of Milan,Catholic University of the Holy Heart of Milan,Universities of Bologna, Florence, Roma LaSapienza, Roma III, Salerno, IstitutoUniversitario Europeo of Florence, Palermo,Naples, Bocconi and the Scuola Superiore S.Anna in Pisa. <>

AConference on the Napoleonic Code

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2004

Italian music in Beer Sheva

he Blue Flag Campaign brings together thetourism and environment sectors at local,

regional and national level in 23 Europeancountries and several countries outside Europe.More than 2,800 beaches and marinas are nowparticipating in the program. Its principalobjectives are: to ensure and advertise clean andsafe beaches and marinas; to educate about theneed and the means to protect the environment,

i n p a r t i c u l a r c o a s t a lenvironments; to create a basisfor voluntary environmentalaction in communities. Theaward is granted for one seasonat a time on the basis ofcompliance with 27 criteria forbeaches and 16 for marinas.These criteria cover the samefour areas for both beaches andmarinas: water quality; environmentalmanagement; safety, services and facilities;environmental education and information.

The list of Italy's Blue Flagwinners include eighty-sixenchanting Italian seaside andlakeside resorts, from Jesolo toQuartu Sant'Elena, Castiglionedella Pescaia, Pollica, Tortoretoand Ostuni, which received theprestigious award from the FEE,t h e F o u n d a t i o n f o rEnvironmental Education.

This year Abruzzo leapt to the top of the list with11 Flags.www.feeitalia.org <>

T

Italy’s beaches and marinas score high in ‘Blue Flag 2004’Winners include eighty-six enchanting Italian seaside and lakeside resorts

he Assessor for Budget, InternationalRelations, Cooperation to Development

and Human Rights of the Veneto Region,Marialuisa Coppola, accompanied by adelegation of officials and entrepreneurs fromthe health sector, visited Israel on May 9-13,adding new drive to developments and initiativesalready in progress since the visit last Novemberof the Region's President Giancarlo Galan.

These were focused on three aspects:Support for Italian hospitals in Haifa;Collaboration with respective health institutionsthrough information exchange and use ofadvanced technologies; and humanitarianassistance to Palestinian children in treatmentat Israeli hospitals, within the framework of a'trilateral' cooperative agreement between Israeli,Italian and Palestinian health institutes.

The visit also included discussions and meetingswith the Israel Antiquities Authority for possiblecollaboration in tourism and, in particular, toevaluate the state of the Venetian quarter ofAcco. Assessor Coppola also met with therecently elected head of Com.It.Es (theorganization of Italians abroad) in Israel, lawyerBeniamino Lazar. <>

New mission to Israel by Veneto regionT

6

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2004

ver 140,000 professionals from 85countries enjoyed, at the beginning of

April, the 38th edition of VINITALY, thehuge international wine and spiritsexhibition held in Verona, one of the winecapitals of Europe. About 4,000 companiesfrom 31 countries exhibited their productsof different styles and grape varieties,representing tradition and modern trends.

Prior to the exhibition the organizers,VeronaFiere, hosted the 12th InternationalWine Competition, the largest and mostselective of its kind worldwide – it awardedonly 95 medals over 3,400 wines from 30countries. The purpose of the Competition isto highlight the best wine production, make itknown to consumers and professionals, presenttypical wines from different countries, rewardand stimulate wineries’ efforts to improve theirproducts. I was very proud that an Israeli wine,Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, won a GrandGold Medal and 6 other Israeli wines were

awarded a “Special Mention” diploma.There is no better way to sum up my Vinitaly2004 experience than to quote one of Italy'smost famous producers, Jacopo Biondi Santi

from Tuscany: "Vinitaly 2004 went beyond allexpectations and was characterized by quality.It was attended by almost all professionals,especially Italian, as well as internationalbusinesses".As you may know Italy claims already 350grape varieties, more than any other country,an enormous range of grapes, which is anadvantage but can confuse consumers.Winemakers are seeking out native vines intheir areas trying to rediscover their viticulturalheritage. The result of their research is afantastic range of aromas and flavorsunavailable from other parts of the world.Varieties like Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Moscatoand Pinot Grigio are familiar to any wine lover,but what about Oseleta, Garganega, Inzoliaand Verduzzo?There are many other emerging varieties likeDurello, Passerina, Timorasso and Casetta,but let's leave some of them for next year’stastings, at Vinitaly of course.www.vinitaly.com <>

mong the 100 best wines in the world,Italian products count for 19, eight of

these from Tuscany. This acknowledgmentcomes from the most important andauthoritative wine journal and guide in France,La Revue du Vin de France.

The eight Tuscan wines cited were Castello diFonterutoli, Antinori, Avignonesi, Isole e Olena,Ornellaia, Siro Pacenti, Tenuta San Guido,Tua Rita. Five wines were also cited from thePiedmont region including Gaja, RobertoVoerzio, Braida, Malvirà, Pio Cesare. Other

Italian wines mentioned were Caprai fromUmbria, Planeta from Sicily, Venetian wineRomano Dal Forno, Feudi of San Gregorio,Mario Schiopetto of Friuli and Lombardy's Càdel Bosco. <>

AItalian wines top the world's best

Vinitaly 2004: a wonderful show of fragrances and flavorsBy Yair Koren, Israel Broadcasting Authority

O

I tasted scores of wines made of native grapesand here follows a list of a few examplesfrom different regions of Italy:Calabria – Cantine Lento – LameziaRiserva 1998 – good blend of 3 local redgrapes: Magliocco, Nerello and Greco Nero.Marche - Tenuta Cocci Grifoni – OffidaPecorino 2003 – refreshing white from thelocal variety Pecorino.Toscana – Donatella Cinelli Colombini –Cenerentola 2002 – rich red from Sangioveseand Foglia Tonda.Friuli – Russiz Superiore - Collio Disore– excellent white from Tocai Friulano,Ribolla, Sauvignon and Pinot bianco.Veneto – Masi – Masianico 2003 – verygood white from Pinot grigio and driedVerduzzo grapes.

Th i rd I ta l ian Ar t s and Pas taFestivalAugust 16 - 18, JerusalemFor the third year, the Nahon Museum ofItalian Jewish Art in Jerusalem is organizinga pasta festival for Israelis-children and adultsalike-to take place during summer vacation.

The festival will be a celebration of flavors:pasta, pizza, focaccia, spices, and various otherfoods associated with Italian culture. There willalso be wine, coffee, song, music, street theater,workshops for children, and performances,designed to give visitors an enjoyablemultidisciplinary experience drawing on Italianculture and art. The festival is intended for the general public:families, individuals, and groups; teenagers,children, and adults alike. It will be held inAugust 2004 in the piazza in front of the museumand in the adjacent square.Along with the culinary experience will be anItalian artistic experience, as artists entertainthe visitors with Italian folk song, opera,commedia dell’arte, dance, and Italian filmclassics. Admission to the festival, theperformances, and the workshops will be free. This year the festival will include a PastaDesign Contest with the participation of Design

Faculties in Jerusalem.Last year, some 28,000 men, women, andchildren attended the festival and enjoyed aunique, high-qual i ty cul tural event .

Italian SoiréeAug. 19A gala evening devoted entirely to Italian culture,with artists and prominent people from Italy andIsrael. On the agenda: an Italian dinner, an Italianartistic program, valuable prizes, and surprises.

Italian-Style EncountersAugust–September, JerusalemFollowing the success of the series in previousyears, we will be holding a new series, this oneon Italian cities. The programs will highlightthe unique character of each city—the stories,the people, the architecture, the art, the cuisine.A cultural, artistic, and culinary celebration! <>

Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art, Jerusalem

Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art - 27 Hillel st., Jerusalem Tel: 02-6241610 Fax: 02-6253480 www.jija.org jija@netvision.net.il

7

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2004

Events In Israel

gon von Furstenberg, the world-known Italianfashion designer, died in Rome on June 11. On

March 8 2003, on the invitation of the Embassy ofItaly, von Furstenberg held a spectacular fashionshow in Tel Aviv, demonstrating the quality of hisimpeccable style and his friendship towards Israelduring a period of heavy tensions in the region.

Egon Von Furstenberg (photo) was born in Lausanne,Switzerland, the descendant of a noble German familyon his father's side. Giovanni Agnelli, patriarch ofFIAT, the Italian automaker dynasty, was his uncle.Von Furstenberg seemed destined to a career in banking

but upon arriving in New York he decided to followhis love of fashion and enrolled in the Fashion Instituteof Technology (FIT). He started in the clothingbusiness as a buyer for Macy's. Early in his career hedesigned clothes for women wearing large sizes andin 1975 came out with a line of pullovers and men'sshirts. He also put out a ready-to-wear line but wasknown for his high fashion collections, especially hisconcentration on color and a romantic look. "He cutan extremely elegant figure and brought an Old Worldfeeling to the made-in-Italy label," said designer LauraBiagiotti.<>

EFashion designer Egon von Furstenberg dies at 58

‘Assisi Clandestina’July 1, Haifa

Father Quirico Calella presents the book byAlexander Ramati, Assisi clandestina, followedby projection of the documentary Assisi delSilenzio.italcult@netvision.net.il

Lecture on Dante and JewishmysticismJuly 6, Tel Aviv

Prof. Sandra Debenedetti Stow (Bar IlanUniversity) will give a lecture on the occasionof the publication of her book entitled Dantee la mistica ebraica (Giuntina).Italian Cultural Institute, Tel: 03-5161361

21st Jerusalem International FilmFestivalJuly 8 - 17, Jerusalem

The annual appointment at the JerusalemCinémathèque, for all movie lovers, will onceagain open its doors for the JerusalemInternational Film Festival 2004 with theprojection of several Italian films.www.jer-cin.org.il Tel: 02-5654333

'La fanciulla del West'July 15 - 31, Tel Aviv

In the month of July the New Israeli Opera willoffer to opera lovers La fanciulla del West byPuccini with Italian director Giancarlo DelMonaco and soloist Mario Bellanova.www.israel-opera.co.il

Wor ld Youth ChamberOrchestraJuly 12, Givatayim

The World Youth Chamber Orchestra wasfounded in 2001 as a result of an initiative takenby MusicEuropa. It is the resident orchestraand artistic center of the Young MusiciansInternational Festival. The Orchestra isdirected by M° Damiano Giuranna and isformed by young international musiciansrepresenting five continents. It providesopportunities for mutual, open and dynamicdiscussion between different cultures andreligions.Givatayim Theater 03-732.5340

8

NOTIZIE ITALIANE July 2004

Events In Italy

Broadband, space, bi-directional satellite, digitalterrestrial and satellite television, wireless, cabling andhome systems all revolve around a single hub: digitalknow-how. Three days of fast-paced activity, a business-oriented public, an international atmosphere: these arethe selling points of SAT Expo, the InternationalExhibition dedicated to ground-breaking communicationtechnologies, at the Vicenza Fair in Italy. Deputy PrimeMinister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor EhudOlmert has confirmed his participation, on the invitationof Italian Minister of Communications MaurizioGasparri, at the head of an important Israeli businessdelegation.Mrs. Ilana Kapitolnik 03-6709765Mrs. Nili Kariv 03 5467913www.satexpo.it <>

Verona Opera Festival19 June - 31 August, Verona

The unique Roman amphitheatre in the heartof Verona is the site of a series of open-air operaperformances. Up to 22,000 spectators at a timeare able to delight both in the amazing historicalsetting and the fantastic acoustics of the ancientmonument, as well as the professional spectacleof the world-class performers that the festivalattracts. This year's festival includesperformances of some of the most popularoperas ever written, including Bizet's Carmenand Puccini's Tosca.www.arena.it

Ravenna Festival10 June - 23 July, Ravenna

The Ravenna Festival is a multidisciplinaryevent which presents original productionscovering opera, concerts, dance, jazz, ethnicmusic, drama, experimentation with new forms,cinema, conferences and exhibitions. It is music,however, that dominates the scene.Among this year's highlights are: Riccardo Mutidirecting the Vienna Philharmonic, as well asthe Scala Philharmonic, Maurizio Pollini,Richard Strauss' Salome, Lausanne's BalletB e j a r t , M o m i x a n d m u c h m o r e .www.ravennafestival.org

Lake Maggiore Jazz FestivalJuly - August, Lake Maggiore

The seventh edition of the Lago Maggiore JazzFestival is spread through five cities: Verbania,Arona , Orta San Giutio , Stresa andDomodossola, offering the chance to see many

great performancesfor free. This year'sl ine-up inc ludestrumpeters JoshuaRedman and CharlesLloyd, guitarist JohnAbercrombie, NicolaArigniano, MiriamMakeba, Bill Frisell,

Uri Caine (photo), Guido Manusardi, BeboFerra, Eliane Elias and Rita Marcotulli.Tel: +39 0323 304 16maggiorejazz@distrettolaghi.it

Florence Dance Festival2 July - 5 August, Florence

This popular dancefestival attracts an u m b e r o fi n t e r n a t i o n a lcompan ie s whoperform in the open-

air venue of the Roman Amphitheatre ofFiesole. From classical ballet to folk dance tojazz, you'll find it all here. This year's performersinclude the Washington Ballet, Son Mu Ga(South Korean dance company), StephenPetronio Company (NYC), CompaniaFlamenco Jose Greco, Ballet Folklorico deCuba, Russian State Dance Academy Beriozaand of course the Florence Dance Company.www.florencedance.org

Estate Romana Festival21 June - 21 September, Rome

The varied programme at the Estate RomanaFestival offers jazz, rock, classical music, film,

sport, theatre and children's fun to fill Rome'sbalmy evenings. Events take place in parks,courtyards, art galleries and around monumentsthroughout the city, with giant screens erectedto show popular films at late-night viewings.Tel. +39 06 3600 4399 or +39 06 488 991editoria@apt-roma.it

International Operetta Festival9 July - 7 August, Trieste

Every summer for the past 34 years, the TeatroGiuseppe Verdi in Trieste has hosted the FestivalInternazionale dell'Operetta. This year'sproductions range from middle-Europeanmusic, with Franz Lehár's Danubian Paganiniand Ralph Benatsky's White Horses, to twomusicals, My Fair Lady and Elizabeth.Trieste Tourism Office Tel. +39 040 67961

Rossini Opera Festival6 - 20 August, Pesaro

S i n c e 1 9 8 0Pesaro, Rossini'sbirthplace, hasheld a summerfestival in hishonour, takingover the Adriaticcoastal town invarious venuesfor operas andconcerts. The

artistic director is Alberto Zedda. This yearthere are three productions: Tancredi, Elisabettaregina d'Inghilterra and Matilde Di Shabran.www.rossinioperafestival.it <>

BIMU 2004October 1 - 6, Milan

Festival Calendar

SAT Expo 200430 September - 2 October, Vicenza

Fiera Milano will host the biannual 24thBI-MU exhibition from 1 - 6 October,2004. BI-MU has become establishedas the "world event" for the machinetool sector, alternating with EMO andoffering continuity to buyers andsuppliers of manufacturing technology.Attendance figures for the 23rd BI-MUconfirm the exhibition's authority andits support for the machine tool sector:almost 122,000 visitors attended BI-MUin 2002.www.bimu-sfortec.com <>

5th Conference onTechnology Transfer in theEuro-Mediterranean Area,Sea EnvironmentProtection18 - 19 October, Genoa

For more information please contact:Israel-Italy Chamber ofCommerce and Industry32 Ben- Yehuda St.Tel Aviv 63805

tel. +972-3-6202034fax. +972-3-5258539info@italia-israel.comwww.italia-israel.com <>