An official opening of the exhibition titled “Armenia. Arc’s people” kicked off at the central hall of Complesso del Vittoriano, Italian Renaissance Museum on March 5.

The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Culture of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan, Mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino, Ambassador of Armenia to Italy Sargis Ghazaryan, Ambassador of Armenia to the Holy See Mikael Minasyan, Director of Complesso Alessandro Nicosia.

The exhibition was organized by Armenian Ministry of Culture, Embassies of Armenia in Italy and in the Holy See, in cooperation with Order of Mechitarists and Union of Armenian of Italy, Armenian MFA's press service reported.

Politicians and public figures of Italy, Senators and parliamentarians, representatives of diplomatic corps and Armenian community were among hundreds of attendees. Minister of Culture of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan, Director of Complesso del Vittoriano Alessandro Nicosia and Ambassador of Armenia to Italy Sargis Ghazaryan delivered welcoming speeches.

The exhibition will last till by May 3. The exhibits and video materials present documentary materials on Armenian Genocide, as well as adoption of Christianity in Armenia, creation of Armenian alphabet, Armenian Bibliography, Armenian architecture and art, centuries-old Armenian and Italian relations and rich presence of Armenian culture in Italy.

Press conference of Ambassador of Armenia to Italy Ghazaryan, presidential adviser on the protection of cultural heritage Louis Godard and well-known Italian Armenian artist Paolo Kessisoglu preceded the opening ceremony and was attended by representatives of over 50 Italian media outlets. In his remarks, Ambassador Ghazaryan mentioned that the aim of the exhibition is to present to Italian audience episodes of millennia-old Armenian history, particularly, Armenian Genocide, that, according to Ambassador was assassination attempt of Armenian people and Armenian civilization”.

He stressed, that surviving the genocide, Armenian people found strength to rebirth, expressed in establishment of the Republic of Armenia. Ambassador SargisGhazaryan touched upon the history of Armenian community of Italy and its contribution in the development of Italy. He also recalled number of prominent Italian politicians and public figures, including Prime Minister of Italy Luigi Luzzatti, Italian Finance Minister Filippo Meda, Antonio Gramsci, Italian Consul in the province of Trabzon Giacomo Gorrini, who condemned the crime committed against Armenians in 1915-1926 in the Ottoman Empire.

Professor Louis Godard attached importance to the exhibition, considering Armenian civilization a component of European one. He described Armenian Genocide as “as one of the darkest chapters of the human history” and mentioned, that Armenian people responded to violence committed against them with rich culture, citing the preservation of the “Homiliarium” by two women at the days of genocide. Paolo Kessisoglu read episodes of writings by William Saroyan.