The Italian Embassy in Tehran, on the occasion of the 24th edition of the Week of the Italian Language in the World, dedicated a series of events to Marco Polo's journey to Persia.
The celebrations opened at the residence of the ambassador, Paola Amadei, with the inauguration of an exhibition created by the photographer Aslan Arfa, in the presence of teachers and students from the Italian School of Tehran 'Pietro Della Valle' and the Italian departments of the Tehran State University and Free Islamic University 'Azad', as well as Uni-Italia. The exhibition, entirely dedicated to the regions and cities visited by Marco Polo, retraces the eight years of travels made in ancient Persia by the Venetian merchant, who stayed there a first time from 1271 to 1275 and a second time from 1291 to 1295.
I n opening the event, Amadei highlighted the important role Marco Polo played in the encounter between the culture and civilisation of the 14th century Italian peninsula and the Persian world. During his journey, he passed through several cities and regions of Iran, learning local customs and traditions. His observations provided valuable insights into the Persian culture and society of the time, while his journey not only broadened the geographical and cultural knowledge of the West, but also inspired many explorers in later centuries. The Residence then screened the documentary 'Travelling with Marco Polo - Marco Polo's Iran', directed by Golnar Dashti, narrated by actors Silvia Pegah Scaglione and Babak Karimi and produced by the Italian Embassy in Tehran in collaboration with the 'Pietro Della Valle' School. This was followed by a round table discussion on Marco Polo's legacy, opened by Loredana di Leone, headmaster of the School, on the topic of travel literature. Fabio Tiddia, history and philosophy teacher at the School, spoke about 'Marco Polo and the encounter with the Other'. Closing the meeting was architect Kamran Afshar Naderi, who spoke about 'The cities and regions of Iran described by Marco Polo'.
As part of the Language Week celebrations, the Italian Embassy in Iran also organised screenings of the film 'Marco Polo's Journey; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow' made by the Uni-Italia Local Office and documentaries by Rai Cultura, 'Save the Date - Marco Polo, Travel Plots' and 'Time and History - Marco Polo, the Silk Road Journeys'.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
