Projects Our Association promotes cultural, artistic and diplomatic initiatives, activities, meetings and projects. We are in dialogue with the local area and with national and international bodies in order to spread the voice, thought and values of Luigi Vittorio Ferraris. Our Association works both on its own projects and in collaboration with partner organizations, sharing common values and goals. Our projects Discover Projects in collaboration Discover

1963 - 1967 The Venezuelan Period In 1963, the then Deputy Director General of Personnel, Girolamo Pignatti Morano di Custoza, proposed that Luigi Vittorio follow him to Caracas as his deputy. Luigi Vittorio arrived in Caracas at a historical-political moment when crime, urban guerrilla warfare, and bombings were the order of the day. Luigi Vittorio fitted very well into the Venezuelan context, not only professionally but also personally. Many travels, from the Orinoco to the Amacuro Delta to the Andes-Merida; Luigi Vittorio attended the Universitad Central in anonymity and collected documentation on guerrilla warfare, which in 1968 he would collect in a publication brought out with the collaboration of prof. Emilio Peruzzi: “Guerrilla Warfare and Politics: The Example of Venezuela (1962-1969)” (ed Valmartina, Florence - under the pseudonym Luigi Valsalice), a volume that would be translated into Spanish and that would be highly praised by President Betancourt, Rangel and Petkov (“the best book on the guerrilla period”). As a diplomat, Luigi Vittorio was highly regarded in Caracas where he was called the “best connoisseur of Venezuelan politics.” On June 17, 1967,he was transferred to Warsaw, where he intensified his diplomatic network partly due to the familiarity he obtained in the Polish language, which he would maintain throughout his life, so much so that even in old age he loved to read newspapers in the original language.

1952 - 1962 Start of the Diplomatic Career He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 16, 1952, and was assigned to the General Directorate (DG) of Personnel, in the Secretariat of then Minister Maurilio Coppini, who had chosen him because he knew Russian. Coppini had been Consul in Kharkov, Ukraine in the 1930s. As was the practice at the Ministry, after a year he was sent for six months “volunteering” at the Consulate General in Munich. He attends the Salzsburg Seminar for American Studies for a month. In August 1953 he returns as scheduled to the Ministry and is assigned again to DG Personnel, and then briefly to the Press Service (during the Trieste crisis) and on March 1, 1954 again to DG Personnel. As the first overseas post he obtains the direction of a Vice Consulate Newark (NJ) in the United States, where he arrives on April 23, 1955. In the fall of 1956 he is seconded for a very short time to the Representation to the United Nations (Suez and Hungary crises). In May 1957 Luigi Vittorio is transferred to Ankara where he arrives on October 1, 1957. Luigi Vittorio is able to speak and write in Turkish. On July 10, 1959, then Minister Plenipotentiary Roberto Gaja, Head of Mission in Sofia, Bulgaria, offered to go with him to Sofia as number two. And once again the ease of learning languages will enable Luigi Vittorio to read and understand Bulgarian. In March 1962, Luigi Vittorio was called back to the Ministry in Rome, and assigned once again, at his explicit request, to DG Personnel.

Caffè Diplomatico Hague Peace and Disarmament Conference of 1899 Wednesday, 13 November, 2024 Online Caffè Diplomatico is the first in the series of webinars organized by the Associazione Amici di Luigi Vittorio Ferraris for members. The topics focus on diplomacy and international relations. In this first meeting, which took place on November 13 at 5 p.m. on the Zoom platform, we talked about the 1899 Hague Peace and Disarmament Conference. With us, present speakers were Ambassador Massimo Spinetti and Federico Sergiani as moderator. Caffè Diplomatico is for members only. For outside guests, it is possible to attend only one of the meetings, from the subsequent ones, membership in the Association will be required. To catch up with the first meeting, we leave you the video of Ambassador Spinetti's speech. If you are interested in participating in the upcoming webinars, please feel free to email us at: assamiciferraris@gmail.com Photo credits: Simona Panzini

Coraggio! New government and women's issues Thursday, October 20, 2022 Enoteca Spiriti - Rome The second meeting of Coraggio! was held last October 2022, an event of great interest at Enoteca Spiriti, Piazza di Pietra, Rome. Guest of the evening was Chiara Albanese of Bloomberg, who offered an in-depth analysis of the election outcome and the implications of the new government on the Italian economy and the European context. Particular attention was paid to “women's issues,” highlighting the challenges and opportunities for promoting greater gender equity in the political and economic spheres. The meeting was not only an opportunity for reflection and debate on crucial topical issues, but also an opportunity to expand professional connections thanks to the networking aperitif that followed the discussion. The cozy atmosphere on the second floor of the Enoteca fostered discussion among the participants, strengthening ties and stimulating new projects in a collaborative atmosphere.

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Our partners The Hanns Seidel Italy Foundation, active since 2022 in Rome, is committed to strengthening the German-Italian dialogue from a European perspective, enriching it with a Bavarian perspective and based on Christian-social values. The foundation promotes a dialogue that addresses issues crucial to European integration. Key topics include security, innovation, migration, international cooperation, economics and food security, with the aim of contributing to shared solutions for the geopolitical challenges of the future. AMKA is a humanitarian organization engaged since 2001 in the most vulnerable countries with development projects in the areas of: health, education, access to food and clean water, and support for productive activities. It works in Italy, Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of Congo. With Amka we organize our annual Christmas Concert, as well as other cross-cutting projects.

Caffè Diplomatico The “Caffè Diplomatico” Project encompasses a series of webinars exclusively for association members, aimed at creating a stimulating environment for debate on issues of diplomacy and international relations. The meetings will be held on a regular basis and will host diplomats and experts, who will share their experiences and knowledge on historical and current topics. The main objective is to stimulate debate among members, encouraging direct and constructive discussion. It also aims to increase knowledge of international dynamics and keep the association network active by creating opportunities for participants to meet and exchange. Each webinar will last approximately 90 minutes, with a presentation by the expert followed by a question-and-answer session. Topics will range from the history of diplomacy to contemporary conflicts, from international politics to global cooperation issues. Members will be asked to register in advance to ensure active interaction and better manage the interventions. It is expected to increase active member participation, raise awareness of diplomacy issues and create a network for discussion and collaboration. The “Diplomatic Café” webinar series offers a unique opportunity to deepen understanding of international dynamics, promoting lively and informed debate and helping to build a cohesive and active community within the association. COME BACK TO THE PROJECTS Caffè Diplomatico January 22, 2025 A new European security architecture: From Helsinki to Ukraine With Ambassador Guido Lenzi Read more Caffè Diplomatico November 13, 2024 The Hague Peace and Disarmament Conference 1899 With Ambassador Massimo Spinetti Read more

Al centro dell’incontro il tema “Rethinking & Powering the Digital Age in Politics and Society”. Ne abbiamo parlato con Andrea Lindholz, Vicepresidente del Bundestag. Coraggio! Ethics and Artificial Intelligence Monday, 11 November, 2024 Six Senses Hotel - Rome Moderated by Marlis Morganti of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the event featured Tiziana Catarci, Director of the Department of Computer, Automatic and Management Engineering. The meeting was a unique opportunity to explore the topic of artificial intelligence, with an in-depth look at its risks and benefits. Tiziana Catarci offered stimulating insights and future perspectives on ethics in the use of technology, emphasizing the need for a conscious and responsible approach. Coraggio! is a series of meetings focused on cross-cutting issues of great relevance, involving a network of women ready to confront and support each other. We want awareness of women's value and courage not to remain an isolated event, but to radiate into society as a whole, so that gender distinction becomes secondary to the individual.

1980 - 1987 The German Period After the Partenopean interlude, Secretary General Malfatti decided for him for the far more important Embassy in Bonn. Luigi Vittorio and his wife Giovanna arrived in Bonn, on January 14, 1980, by train from Frankfurt (an original choice, to say the least) with the Intercity “Germania” and the Station Chief in full uniform waiting on the platform together with the Foreign Ceremonial and the Embassy's diplomatic staff! From 1980 to 1987 Luigi Vittorio, Ambassador in Bonn, travels all over the territory with very frequent visits everywhere, and talks with all the Länder Presidents, local personalities, many Mayors, and many important cultural institutes, such as the Bertelsmann Stiftung or the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. He frequently visits and lectures at almost all universities, where he is received with special attention especially because Herr Professor und Kollege, is the only Italian member of the Association of University Professors. He makes intensive political contacts there and also with political figures from Italy. Significant is his insertion into German politics and with frequent appearances on television and radio programs and very frequent interviews in newspapers as well as countless contributions to collected books (over a hundred) where his signature is sought after and appreciated. Indeed, he is a sought-after commentator and thus many speeches and lectures with continuous participation in the activities of cultural institutions, from Europa Union to Aspen or Koerner Stiftung or Bertelsmann Stiftung, as well as as an honored speaker in many important German institutions and press, radio and television interviews and frequent participation in talk-shows, for which he is a sought-after guest. He ensures his presence at fairs of all kinds with much appreciation from Italian exhibitors. After all, thanks to the prestige he acquired, such activity would continue even after he ceased to serve as Ambassador for a large part of the 1990s. From that period there are also numerous articles in political and scientific journals. Particular attention is paid to the communities of Italians, which he visits frequently and with personal success, especially in Wolfsburg, a city symbolic of the presence of Italian workers in Germany. He manages to establish direct contact with Italian communities no longer mediated by politicized organizations, which are considered unrepresentative. For the same reason he opposed the establishment of elected workers' committees, considering them useless, something that would find confirmation in the facts after his departure from Germany. A 'successful activity remembered even after many decades is summarized in a book of his in German, “Wenn schon denn schon,” which sold over ten thousand copies. On December 1, 1988, the book was presented in Bonn by Foreign Minister Genscher, an unusual recognition, and also cited by former Chancellors Schmidt and Kohl.