Italian Ambassador to China, Gabriele Menegatti, talked to BJW about the ongoing Italian Year in China, the similar and yet different cultures of both countries, and the simple life he enjoys in Beijing.
Italian Ambassador to China, Gabriele Menegatti, gestures during an interview with BJW. [Photo By Yang Shizhong]
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It turns out that the 67-year-old pipe-smoking ambassador, tall, slim and amiable, is a typical Italian who prefers a simple life, has a good taste for arts and an innate proclivity towards nature.
And he knows about China almost as much as he knows about his country.
Before he became the Italian Ambassador to China, Menegatti lived in China for four years from 1968 to 1972 when he had the chance to witness the establishing of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
In the following two decades, he came back to China from time to time both as a diplomat and trade representative.
The interview took place at the ambassador's spacious residence, which is tastefully decorated with Italian oil paintings from the 17th century.
Question: What do you think of Beijing and Rome, both ancient cities with great histories, in the process of modern transformation?
Answer:Beijing, like any other city in Asia, is changing rapidly.
It is especially difficult for Beijing, such a huge city, to go through the process. In the heart of the city you see Tian'anmen Square and next door you are going to have the Opera House (China National Grand Theatre). There are two sorts of Beijing, the old and the modern.
Rome went through the same process. Now you see St Peter's Square, people would think that Italy has always been like this. But actually it has not. Besides the church, there used to be some little churches and stores that were pulled down to make a big venue for the square in the 1930s. At that time, very few people spoke high of that. But now everybody accepts it and everybody is part of the picture.
Of course, this size of modernity inside the Italian city, especially within the historical centre, is minimal in comparison to the transformation that Beijing is going through. But this is unavoidable, isn't it?
Question: What are your suggestions for China, especially regarding modernization?
Answer: I don't want to be rude (chuckles). But I guess it is very important to safeguard and restore the historical parts of the city. However, even by safeguarding and restoring, we can still make mistakes. For example if you restore too much, the relics will become kind of fake. In this case, Italy has a lot of expertise to share with China. Italy is a master in this field, with 2,000 years of experience developed from the restoration of Pompeii and Rome. Actually we have been co-operating with China in this field for decades. The recent programmes include the one on mural repairing in Xi'an.
At the same time, the protection of nature is also important. If you see the painting of Mona Lisa, when your eyes go behind the painting and through the window, the landscape is still the landscape it used to be when Mona Lisa was painted. I mean, the painting is a piece of art, but the beauty mostly lies in the landscape. If Beijing has got only Tian'anmen Square and not the Western Hills, that would be too bad a picture.
Question: Since this is the Year of Italy in China, what message would you like to give to the Chinese people?
Answer: This cultural year is a good opportunity to show that Italy is more than about Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci. It is also, in many sectors, an exchange partner for China.
Italy, like China, is not only an old country. We are also fast thriving into a very modern industrialized country. However, generally speaking, our presence in China now is rather sketchy.
I believe the Year of Italy in China will help expand the awareness of Chinese people about Italy, at the same time boost mutual understanding and co-operation in other areas.
For example, I show you the Renaissance so that you will be curious enough to go to Florence. I bring the New Scarlatti Orchestra, because once you enjoy the music, you will be tempted to see an opera in Italy. I bring you industrial design, not so you would copy my machine, but so you could realign with an Italian partner to develop a pair of shoes or a motorcycle that are both functional and beautiful.
Question: What do you usually do in your spare time?
Answer: Getting away from the crowd (chuckles). I go to the Ming Tombs, the Summer Palace and the Western hills, the places most foreigners would go. Whenever I want to have some beauty and some peace, I will go there.
Most people like to go to the big tombs like Ding Ling and Chang Ling because you can do shopping and see museums there, and of course, the tombs are open. But when you've seen it twice or thrice, the charm is over. So what is the charm of other tombs? They are always there and there is not the usual crowd. So we go to those lesser known tombs for a change. The French Embassy may go to Chang Ling; the Italian Embassy may go to Jin Ling. Everybody has his own tomb, so to say. We walk around. Sometimes we also picnic in the beautiful villages nearby.
Question: How do your family enjoy life here?
Answer: There is not a big family, only my wife. She loves the life here. Since she was born in the Year of Dog and this is her year, she is particularly happy. I take her to the park to enjoy the atmosphere of the park life, where people are singing, parents going out with their kids and young men taking out their girlfriends. It is like a cinema, a window to family lives in China. Then you can appreciate the fact that Chinese and Italians have a lot in common enjoying their lives. The key is to enjoy the simple things, to feel happy with simple lives. It is a nice walk during sunny days with little birds chirping on the trees. This is a very happy society.
Common ground
From 200 BC to the fall of Rome, the Chinese and Roman empires were the world's two great civilizations. They knew each other only from afar. Marco Polo bridged the gap in the 13th century. No one can tell if it is a result of the publication of Travels of Marco Polo in 1299, but one thing is agreed by many: the Chinese and Italians have much in common.
Noodles noodles
Although the idea that Marco Polo brought pasta from China to Italy has been debated for centuries, no one disputes that the Chinese have made pasta, from many more kinds of flour than Europeans have, since at least 1100 BC while at the same time, Italians also have a noted noodle popular around the world called spaghetti.
Family tradition
In both countries, a family is emotionally centred around the mother. A mother is her children's best friend, even when the children are in their 40s.
Opera nations
Both countries have the most enduring operas in the world.
China's got the better makeup, Italy the more hummable tunes.
Crossover moment: Turandot.
A tale of two empires
In 27 BC, a Chinese mission visited Rome.
In 166 AD, a Roman mission travelled to China.
In 1275, Marco Polo, a merchant from Venice, came to China and lived here for 17 years. When he returned to Italy, he published his travels in 1299, introducing China to the West.
In 1583, Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), was assigned to China, where he worked for 27 years. He made western developments in mathematics available to the Chinese and in 1584 and 1600 he published the first maps of China ever available to the West.
In 1715, Giuseppe Castiglioe (1688-1766), a 27-year-old Italian missionary, was sent to China by the Vatican, and then worked in the imperial court. Later he became a royal painter for the Chinese Emperor.
On November 6, 1970 Italy established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.
On May 28, 1998 Rome became the 24th sister city of Beijing.
In 2006, the two countries launched a comprehensive culture exchange project - the Sino-Italy culture year.
