CULT Network Launches in Rome to Bridge Diplomacy and Culture

On May 26, at the Silvano Toti Globe Theatre in Villa Borghese, Rome, the CULT network was launched by Cultura Italiae, an association founded in 2016. CULT (Cultura Diplomazia, più Mondo in Italia) aims to connect the Italian and international diplomatic world with Italy's cultural excellences. President Angelo Argento stated that the initiative seeks to present concrete proposals reinforcing the equation that more culture leads to more economy and innovation. Diplomats from Brazil, Uruguay, Turkey, and other countries attended. The network will bring together ambassadors, cultural attachés, directors of foreign cultural institutes, and personalities from culture and sport to promote roundtables and concrete actions. Roberto Vellano, deputy director general for the promotion of Italian culture and language at the Farnesina, noted that culture accounts for over 6% of Italy's GDP and 1.5 million jobs. Angela Travaglini of the Museo Nazionale Romano highlighted the museum's four sites (Terme di Diocleziano, Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi) as a network model. Mario De Simoni, president and CEO of Ales Spa and Scuderie del Quirinale, emphasized that 16 of their exhibitions in the last 18 years resulted from international collaborations.