"Armenian Letters: The Book by F.Cerami and V.Del Monaco to Be Presented in Bari on June 6" by Carlo Coppola
«Հայոց գրերը. Ֆրանց Կերամիի և Վինչենցո Դել Մոնա կոյի գիրքը կներկայացվի հունիսի 6-ին Բարիում» Կառլո Կոպպոլայի հոդված.
On June 6, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., the Circolo Canottieri Barion in Bari will host the presentation of the book "Lettere Armene": A Journey to Yerevan Through Art and Diplomacy, written by artist Franz Cerami and diplomat Vincenzo Del Monaco. The event represents a significant moment of cultural dialogue between Italy and Armenia, through a narrative that intertwines personal experiences, artistic explorations, and reflections on the value of cultural diplomacy.
The volume, published by Editoriale Scientifica of Naples in 2024, takes the form of an epistolary and a dual autobiography, recounting the authors' travels, encounters, and lived contexts. Armenia, in its multifaceted nature, serves as the common thread, a platform for communication, a backdrop that highlights the power of art and the capacity to build relationships in the name of shared true ideals: beauty as a bridge between different cultures, the beauty of diverse humanity which, through its infinite combinations and nuances, can truly save the world—reminding us, in ways we too rarely hear today, to be proud of belonging to the human race.
Distinguished institutional guests will participate in the presentation, including H.E. Vladimir Karapetyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Italy, Michele Emiliano, President of the Apulia Region, and Dario Rupen Timurian, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Bari. Engaging in dialogue with the authors will be Antonio Maria Vasile, President of Aeroporti di Puglia, and Carlo Coppola, General Advisor of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Armenia in Bari. The event will be moderated by journalist Siranush Quaranta, Historical Research Advisor to the same consulate.
The initiative is sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Italy, the Apulia Region, the Municipality of Bari, and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Armenia in Bari, in collaboration with Grafica 080 and the Circolo Canottieri Barion. Admission is free until seating is full, and the presentation will be followed by an aperitif.
This event is part of a broader set of initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural ties between Apulia and Armenia, also in light of the upcoming launch of the direct Bari-Yerevan flight scheduled for October 26. In Bari, the millennia-old Armenian community is especially active through the Honorary Consulate—opened in 2024—which, together with the Hrand Nazariantz Study Center and the Armeni Apulia Association, carries forward the moral legacy of poet Hrand Nazariantz. This ongoing promotion—uninterrupted for the past 30 years—includes cultural and social events such as book presentations and blood donations, and has been further reinforced since the inauguration of the consular office on Corso Vittorio Emanuele on September 28, 2024.
The presentation of Armenian Letters offers yet another opportunity to deepen our ideal understanding of Armenia and to reflect on the role of art and diplomacy in supporting intercultural dialogue. Franz Cerami, a world-renowned artist and former Ambassador of Italian Design around the globe, will present to the Bari audience—not only the book-catalogue in question but also excerpts from some of his most acclaimed video installations, Lighting Flowers and Remix Portraits. Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco will share some of his adventurous and formative life experiences, which shift perspective with every step—across infinite universes and worlds—from which, with a pure gaze, he can spark passion and beauty. Not like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, but rather like a traveler who allows himself to be amazed at every turn.
For more information about the event, you can contact the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Armenia in Bari at the institutional email address: info@consolatoarmenobari.it.
