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Unveiling of the bust of Dante Alighieri at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia

In the presence of the Rector Tasos Christophides and the Ambassador of Italy in Cyprus Andrea Cavallari, the General Secretary of Dante Alighieri Society Alessandro Masi inaugurated the bronze bust of Dante Alighieri, by the Italian artist Ciro Vignes. The ceremony, which took place at the Axiothea Cultural Center of the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, was attended by Prof. Michalis Pieris, Honorary Director of the Cultural Center and Prof. Umberto Mondini, President of the Cyprus Committee of Dante Alighieri .

The bust, a gift from the Dante Alighieri Society and a symbol of the Italian language and culture, was placed in the garden of the Axiothea Cultural Center, a historic place within the Venetian walls of Nicosia that every year, from June to September, hosts the prestigious Festival of the University of Cyprus. As mentioned by Prof. Pieris, the influence of the great Italian poet on modern Greek literature, including the Cypriot one, was important. Among others, Nikos Kazantzakis, Giorgos Seferis, Konstantinos Kavafis and the Cypriot Christodoulos Galatopoulos were mentioned.

The ceremony was an opportunity to highlight the collaboration between Italy and Cyprus in the cultural field and to remember the excellent collaboration established with the University of Cyprus where the Italian language is successfully taught thanks to the support provided to the Language Center by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The Cyprus Committee of Dante Alighieri, based at the Embassy of Italy, contributes to the promotion of Italian language and culture in Cyprus by offering Italian courses at various levels and an extensive cultural program. An important aspect of its activity is the PLIDA language certification which allows enrollment in University courses in Italy.