Event Highlights: The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic
On Monday, November 15, the Center for Latin American Studies hosted the former Ambassador of Italy to the Dominican Republic, Andrea Canepari, to discuss his new book, The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic: History, Architecture, Economics, Society. The virtual interview was conducted over Zoom by CLAS Director Rady Roldán Figueroa. Among the topics discussed were Canepari’s experience in the Dominican Republic, the genesis of his book project, areas of potential collaboration – including in the realm of scholarship – between Italy and the Dominican Republic, the history of Italian migration to the island of Hispaniola, and the history of relations between the two countries dating back to the Spanish colonial period.
Andrea Canepari is currently working in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he is responsible for the internationalization of the Italian economy. He recently ended his post as the the Ambassador of Italy to the Dominican Republic, to which he was appointed on August 1, 2017. From August 2013 to July 2017, he served as Consul General of Italy in Philadelphia (U.S.A.), with consular jurisdiction for the States of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland (except Montgomery and Prince George counties), New Jersey (southern counties), North Carolina and Virginia (except for Arlington and Fairfax counties) and West Virginia. He has promoted initiatives such as “Ciao Philadelphia” (www.ciaophiladelphia.com), the month-long celebration of Italian culture with over seventy events held throughout the U.S., bringing together prominent cultural institutions to celebrate Italy and promoting opportunities for economic and cultural international collaborations.