Italian National Day

Islamabad : To celebrate the National Day of the Republic of Italy, the Italian ambassador, Stefano Pontecarvo and spouse Lidia Pontecorvo hosted a reception at the Serena hotel, which was a well-attended affair with diplomats; government officials; members of civil society and Italian nationals all rubbing shoulders with each other.

The guest of honour was Minister for Education, Baleegh ur Rehman and the cake was cut after the national anthems had been vocalized by a female Italian vocalist, wearing a beautifully designed dress with the colours of the Italian flag in mind – red, white and green - (sorry, I could not get her name) and Pakistan’s new entrant into the world of pop, Danyal Zafar.

Trust the Italians to celebrate in style! As guests entered the foyer of the Shishmahal hall they came upon a sleek and snazzy motorcycle of Italian make that any biker would love to own; in the next space were marble figures like those seen all over Italy – the only surprise was that they were real men and women dressed in mediaeval costumes and painted to look like marble (like those seen in places in different countries)! The next attraction were the Carabinieri (Italian police) posted at the entrance to the main hall, while a fabulous display of couture by Italian designer, Cristina Senter, titled ‘Beautiful and Damned’ was showcased inside – the gorgeous dresses surely making it to the dream wish list of many a female guest. While most of the gowns were on mannequins, a couple of them were worn by live models - the one with peacock feathers as a train being the most admired. In addition, famous Italian musical compositions played in the background; a video screening of the many historic/heritage places in Italy was on-going and after the formalities of speeches and cake cutting, dinner with a variety of Italian dishes was served.

Later both the vocalists entertained the guests with Italian and Pakistan songs, with the popular ‘Volare’ and “dil dil Pakistan’ being the most enjoyed and applauded. Needless to say photographs and ‘selfies’ were the order of the day throughout the evening, while those who knew that she was the brain behind the show, congratulated the hostess for her creativity and imagination in putting together the whole caboodle.

As for speeches – the host kept his light and lively welcoming all his guests, including the guest of honour and other special guests; mentioning the good bilateral relations between Italy and Pakistan; acknowledging his wife’s efforts; introducing the vocalists; thanking the sponsors and hoping everyone would enjoy the evening.

The minister said it was an honour to be present at the celebration; congratulated the Italian people on behalf of the government and himself; recalled the beginning of the successful bilateral relations between the two countries since Pakistan came into being and concluded with the hope that the relationship would remain steadfast in the future.

An award ceremony was also held to recognize Italian archaeologists who have been doing great work in digging out the ancient sites in Pakistan.

All in all it was an enjoyable evening with those who have been to Italy getting nostalgic and those who still dream of visiting the country savouring the sights and sounds that gave a small glimpse of what to expect!