Italy to open UNESCO Heritage Sites exhibition

By Kim Se-jeong

“A man who has not been in Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, from not having seen what it is expected a man should see.”

Among several reasons that made the British author Samuel Johnson say this was probably the depth and richness of the country’s history and culture.

Italy tops the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list with 45, ranging from the Piazza del Duomoa or Leaning Tower of Pisa to the church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which features “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vince.

Those who wish to lose this sense of inferiority, but can’t travel for whatever reason should visit an exhibition being held by the Italian Cultural Institute sponsored by the Italian Embassy in Korea, the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and the Italian National Commission for UNESCO.

Starting on Feb. 10, the exhibition “UNESCOITALY” will display 130 photographs taken by Italian photographers.

It will also have a video that will walk visitors through famous sites shot on location over the last seven decades.

“The exhibition is not simply a picture exhibition but a unique combination. The most beautiful natural, archeological, architectural and historical sites are interpreted by different artists’ viewpoints, creating original artworks,” the cultural center said through a press release.

The world-tour exhibition introduces 14 renowned Italian photographers such as Olivo Barbieri, Mimmo Jodice, Gianni Berengo Gardin and Guiseppina Calagirone.

The heritage sites all over Italy make it one of the most coveted places as a tourist destination.

In 2009, Italy was world’s fifth most-visited country, following France, the United States, Spain and China.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, approximately 43 million people visited Italy that year.

The venue is the Sungshin Women’s University campus in Seoul, and the exhibition runs to March 9. For more information about the exhibition, visit the website: https://www.iicseoul.esteri.it/IIC—Seoul.