“The practice of opera singing in Italy” has been officially inscribed on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This was announced by the Secretary of the 18th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held this month in Botswana.
The recognition comes after almost ten years of intensive work by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the Committee for the Safeguarding of the Art of Italian Opera, which brings together the highest institutional bodies of Italian opera, including ANFOLS (Associazione Nazionale Fondazioni Lirico-Sinfoniche), of which the Fondazione Arena di Verona is a member. Since 2014, the Committee has been constantly working to protect and promote a form of art and entertainment that has become a symbol of Italianism throughout the world.
Cecilia Gasdia, Superintendent of the Arena di Verona Foundation, said: “This recognition is the culmination of a long journey and an intense and fruitful collaboration between ANFOLS and all the realities that make up the Committee. A work aimed at preserving and disseminating the art of opera singing, an intangible heritage that was born more than 400 years ago with the “Recitar cantando” and that has evolved to the present day thanks to great composers, librettists, artists, singers, musicians and teachers who have created, are creating and will create masterpieces. The Fondazione Arena shares the immense joy of the entire world of opera singing, with the aim of spreading and safeguarding this practice in the best possible way, destined, I hope, to last forever“.
