The Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia in Milan, in cooperation with the City of Dubrovnik and the City of Milan will host a rich cultural and artistic program entirely dedicated to the city of Dubrovnik!
As Glas Grada reported on the 20th of June, 2017, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Italian Republic, a program dedicated to the City of Dubrovnik is being held in the Italian city of Milan.
Deputy Mayor Jelka Tepsic is in Milan on behalf of the City of Dubrovnik, while Niksa Matic is present on behalf of the House of Marin Drzic.
There are two important anniversaries that we celebrate this year: The 230th anniversary of the death of the Dubrovnik genius Rudjer Boskovic and the 450th anniversary of the death of Marin Drzic, two enormously talented gifted individuals, born right here in Dubrovnik, both of whom spent a significant part of their lives in Italy, where they both eventially died and were buried; Boskovic in Milan and Drzic in Venice.
The ceremonial marking program began this morning with the solemn unveiling of a memorial to Rudjer Boskovic in front of the church of Santa Maria Podone in central Milan. There will be a visit of representatives of Croatian institutions and representatives of the City of Dubrovnik to the Indro Montanelli Park, where a wreath will be placed on behalf of the city at the monument of Rudjer Boskovic, which is otherwise the work of the famous Croatian sculptor, Ivan Mestrovic.
The main part of the ceremony will take place in Milan’s Palace of the Seicentro, and will present the Republic of Croatia and especially the City of Dubrovnik in literary, musical, dramatic and visual excerpts.
The String Quartet of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra will perform during the musical part of the program, while part of Drzic’s famous comedy “Skup” will be performed for the theatrical part. The stage performance will be from Dubrovnik Gymnasium students.
As part of the program, an exhibition by the talented painter Tonko Smokvina will be opened, and the presentation of the Italian version of the book “Rudjer Boskovic in the service of diplomacy of the Dubrovnik Republic” by Stjepan Spoljaric will also take place.
The collaboration between the House of Marin Drzic and the National Library of Braidense from Milan, which still holds three valuable editions of Drzic’s works, is reflected in the borrowing of these works and their subsequent presentation in Dubrovnik.
The program will end with a full presentation of the City of Dubrovnik – ”A city for all seasons” – organised by the Tourist Board of the City of Dubrovnik.
(all images: Niksa Matic)
