Chongqing - The curtain fell on November 22 on IL TRITTICO DEL CENTENARIO (literally "The Centenary Trio"), a China-Italy Contemporary Art Exhibition in Southwest China's Chongqing.

Massimo Ambrosetti, Ambassador of Italy to China, shared, "More than 40,000 individuals embarked on a journey between past and future, art and aesthetics. This was made possible through a triumph of approximately 300 avant-garde works, including posters, books, catalogs, advertisements, postcards, and vintage stamps."

The Italian ambassador to China, Massimo Ambrosetti, gave a speech at the closing ceremony of the art exhibition. (Photo/Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing)

"I think that the cultural cooperation between Italy and China is really outstanding," said the ambassador during an interview with iChongqing.

He said he was glad they included an important municipality, an important cultural city such as Chongqing, in these promotional activities. 

He also highlighted upcoming exhibitions in Shanghai, "At the beginning of December, we will host an outdoor exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci in Shanghai and at the Museum of Pudong, an exhibition on the great master of the Baroque Caravaggio." 

Ambassador of Italy to China, Massimo Ambrosetti. (Photo/Chen Yingzhu)

The ambassador said, "Italy and China, the two most ancient civilizations in the East and West, share the record of being the two countries with the largest number of UNESCO's cultural heritage sites, both for the tangible and intangible heritage. So I think this is a sector of cooperation that is very important between China and Italy. And we recently organized a very important seminar dedicated to this subject".

Further delving into cultural parallels, he added, "There are many similarities between the Chinese and Italian people. For instance, the love for good food, but also the fact that we live in an environment shaped by a lot of culture, history, and beautiful landscapes."

He shared his impression of this mountainous city, saying "Every time I was here in Chongqing, I was delighted to see the rivers and the mountains. So I think that what is unique in the Chinese and Italian civilizations is that they are a mix of culture, landscape, and traditions, but also innovation because our countries are very innovative. So, we look at the past to create our future. And in this respect, I think that we have been very successful."