2013: The year of Italian culture in the United States

Next Wednesday, Dec.12, the opening ceremony of 2013 declared the Year of Italian Culture in the United States will take place.

In order to promote the best of Italy, the cultural happening will focus on scientific research achievements and enterprise development, through initiatives that will be held in several US cities.

"This is one of the most important events that mark the closeness between the two countries," US Ambassador to Italy Claudio Bisogniero said, "a great initiative created and promoted by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Terzi, that will promote Italy in different fields and through music, opera, scientific research, important exhibitions, conferences and workshops."

This year Italy, aware of the current economic situation but at the same time confident in the value of its tradition, will focus on scientific and technological research, and on innovation and design. According to sources close to the Minister this is a great chance to show the skills of enterprises that represent Italy and an opportunity to increase Italian brands' exports.

For this purpose, in fact, many private companies and enterprises will be involved in this cultural initiative.

This is Italy will cover the "Year" broadly.

Below, the note published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

The decision to make 2013 the Year of Italian Culture in the United States has created a golden opportunity to showcase our cultural and scientific legacies and promote the cultural and production (Brand Italia) components of our Country Development Plan.

The goal of the Year's theme is to present Italy as a country that is forward-looking and forward-thinking, whose excellence is deeply rooted in a time-honored past of success in the research, discovery, and innovation that repeats in this year's theme, with a vision and perspective together with the experience and expertise to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

A full calendar of events is still in the defining stages but is already replete with outstanding events poised to draw attention to our country's best, in ways which we are confident will surprise and delight. Italian culture and identity will be presented and decoded through the kaleidoscope of geniality that has forged Italian life and lifestyle: art, music, theatre, cinema, literature; architecture and archaeology, science, design, fashion; politics, law and economics; and, of course, cuisine.

Some of the events already on the calendar will be organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy inWashington DC and the Consulates General and Italian Cultural Institutes located across America, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Miami.