On Thursday 14th February 2019, the Embassy of Italy to the Holy See convened the traditional high-level meeting to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Lateran Treaty and the 35th anniversary of Amendment of the Concordat.
The commemoration was graced with the presence of the President of Italy , Sergio Mattarella, the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, and the highest authorities of the Italian government, the Secretariat of State (Holy See) and the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI).
The annual meeting serves as a symposium to address topics related to the Treaties as well as international politics involving bilateral relations.
To underline the special occasion, the Embassy of Italy to the Holy See organized a dense agenda of initiatives: an exhibition inaugurated by the President of the Italy Sergio Mattarella, displaying the recently published art book “Palazzo Borromeo, L’Ambasciata d’Italia presso la Santa Sede” (“Palazzo Borromeo, the Italian Embassy to the Holy See”), by Daria Borghese and Pietro Sebastiani, ed. Allemandi 2019, containing foreword messages by the President of the Republic, the Cardinal Secretary of State, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Among other objects and documents displayed, there was the copy in micro mosaic of Raphael’s Madonna della seggiola created in 1929 by the Vatican School of Mosaic and donated by Pius XI to Queen Elena in December 1929 to celebrate the first visit of the Royal couple to the Vatican (the initials of Pius XI are etched on the frame). In addition, exceptionally on loan from the Vatican Museum, there was the writing set made by a Rome-based silversmith in 1850 and used to sign the Treaty.
Moreover, under the proposal of the Embassy, on 11th February, the Ministry for Economic Development issued a celebrative stamp (in parallel with the Vatican Postal Service) to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Treaty.
