By Kamran Hashim/ Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: On the occasion of the 74th Republic Day of Italy on 2nd June 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation led by young and energetic Mr. Luigi Di Maio circulated an E-Book “Le Piazze [In] visibili”.
Due to the ongoing health situation in Pakistan, which has restricted people to gather and celebrate, the Consul General of Italy in Karachi Ms. Anna Ruffino, thought to bring Italy to us via this E-Book, as a special souvenir on the occasion of the Italian National Day 2020.
This E-Book is dedicated to the popular Piazzas of Italy; all of those Piazzas wore a deserted look and were seen totally empty during the pandemic. For those of you who have no clue what a piazzas is? Please don’t confuse it with pizza, its known as piazzas, which translates as a public square or marketplace, where town folk come to socialize. In our local language of urdu piazzas can be translated a ‘chowk’ where people would come to meet and greet or play board-games etc, drink coffee, snacks, discussing current affairs, gossips etc. etc.
This E-Book has shares images and texts mentioning Piazza-del-Popolo, Piazza-Navona, Piazza-di-S-Maria and Piazza-Scossacavalli in Rome. This book also gives a very over view on Piazza-Santa-Croce and Piazza-della-Signoria in Florence along with Piazza-San-Marco in Venice, Piazza-Carignano in Turin, Piazza-Baldaccio in Anghiari, Piazza-del-Duomo in Catania, Piazza-del-Popolo in Todi, Piazza-del-Duomo in L’Aquila, Piazza-Sebastiano-Satta in Nuoro, Piazza-Baracca in Lugo, Piazza-dei-Martiri in Carpi, Piazza-Saint-Antonio-Nuovo in Trieste, Piazza-del-Popolo in Ascoli Piceno, Piazza-delle-Carceri in Prato, Piazza-Benedetto-Brin in La Speziam, Piazza-Vittoria in Napoli, Piazza-San-Nicola in Bari and Piazza-Duomo in Milan. Texts relating to these piazzas have been contributed by 20 Italian writers connected to these places by memories, experiences and literary references. Meanwhile for images 18 photographers contributed.
On circulation of “Le Piazze [In] visibili”, Mr. Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said; “on the occasion of Italian Republic Day, on June 2, we decided to give this book to all those abroad who will gather virtually this year to celebrate the date, in anticipation of when they’ll be able to do it in person again. It is another way of underscoring the role that the world of Italian culture and creativity can and must perform to accompany the reopening and re-launching of our national economy overseas, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to support. We are aware that we are facing great challenges, but nonetheless believe that we have the ability to rise to them and draw the impetus needed to overcome them from our sights firmly set on the future”.
