As scientists and medics scramble to discover a vaccine that will rein in the devastating effects of the pandemic, Italian artists and intellectuals continue their struggle to unlock the potential of creativity and ingenuity, proudly iterating that the culture of positivity knows no boundaries. For Italy – home to the largest number of landmarks listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites – realizes that the preservation of cultural heritage is a critical and imperative collective humanitarian effort. In fact, reviving Italian culture in the wake of the current circumstances is an inevitability that must not be delayed, not only because it constitutes a primary source of national income, but also because of the pivotal role of cultural elements in defying crises and threats. Culture revives social life and provides a sense of optimism, while enhancing the concepts of solidarity, empathy and healing. What is more, it helps proliferate the values of love, hope and peace, respect for differences and nurtures a renouncement of divisions. As such, the revival of cultural heritage warrants essential attention at the early stages of “reconstruction” following the eventual regression of the pandemic. It is what drove the Italian government to allow the reopening of public libraries, reiterating the role of books as food for the soul, on par with other basic human necessities.

Today, as the skies remain void of planes and land transportation grinds to a standstill, there are no means of overcoming the confines of isolation, fear and disease other than through the power of human interaction and communication. Until we see the end of this ordeal, danger diminishing and the restoration of our beehive to its customary humming and cheer, houses of worship, universities, schools, theaters, movie screens, opera houses, exhibitions, museums, poetry, music, literature and books, continue to reach out to audiences throughout deserted Italian towns, breathing cultural life into them and reminding the world of the beauty and power of the human intellect, which, in spite of the virus, continues to embrace life.

The challenges confronting humanity at the present time – and Italy more than ever before – warrant the preservation of history and cultural heritage, by dipping into our stockpile of human experiences and expertise. Italy’s geographical location has helped it bridge global civilizations, providing continuous historical communication about art and culture between the world and Italian cities. This bitter experience – culminating, as all other historical events, in formidable breakthroughs – will reflect the depth of these interactions and the breadth of their chronological extent, harnessing cultural heritage to continue the cycle of life and find light at the end of the tunnel, just as the voice of renowned opera singer Bocelli, who lost his sight during childhood, echoes around the world from Milan, sending a hopeful glimmer of a promising and blooming future.

Italy, your message has been heard loud and clear in the UAE. We will join you in overcoming these times, returning steadily to build brighter tomorrow and to fill cultural and historical venues with hope, determination and resilience.      

HE Omar Obaid Al Shamsi        

UAE Ambassador to Italy
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation