Posted on 28 May 2018
Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy, honored the Historical Archives of the European Union with a private visit on 10 May 2018 in the framework of The State of the Union conference organized by the European University Institute.
Before the visit, President Mattarella opened the 2018 edition of The State of the Union, a yearly high-level conference for reflection on the European Union that gathers experts from all around the world to discuss the most pressing issues facing Europe today.
EUI Secretary General Vincenzo Grassi and Director of the Historical Archives Dieter Schlenker welcomed President Mattarella to Villa Salviati. Also present during the visit were Enrico Rossi, President of the Region of Tuscany, and Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence.
In the reading room of the Archives, President Mattarella was presented with documents pertaining to key Italian events and figures in the history of European integration, including the semi-clandestine edition of Altiero Spinelli’s Manifesto di Ventotene as well as Alcide De Gasperi’s personal copy of the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947.
Additionally, President Mattarella viewed documents which explore Italy’s political history and instances in which the European Union has invested in Italy. This includes documents about the first parliamentary elections of the President of the Italian Republic and the first European Investment Bank project for Italy devoted to building three hydro-electric factories in Sardinia in 1960. After the visit to the Archives, President Mattarella also visited Villa Salviati as well as its grotto and chapel.
Photos from the visit are available on the State of the Union website, in addition to a video taken by the Office of the President of Italy.