euskalkultura.eus

Rome, Italy.  The Associazione Culturale Euskara (ACE) of Rome along with the Basque Department the University UPTER in the Italian capital city were very satisfied by the results of Settimana Basca 2013 that took place at the beginning of December and was attended by a large number of Basques and Italians alike.   It was not an easy success in a city with a huge cultural activity like Rome, but according to the vice-president of the ACE, Marlen Merikaetxebarria, “each time people are increasingly friendlier and more interested in what our country is about.”

The ninth edition of the Settimana Basca included activities like presentations by the e-book publisher of Basque literature “LIBE Edizioni,” that has already published Il tipografo Angiolillo by Koldo Izagirre and Marlene e la taxiscarpa by Mariasun Landa.  “We brought such endearing and valued people like Harkaitz Cano and his defense of personal freedom with Filo d’erba,” the Italian edition of the award-winning Belarren ahoa, in the university neighborhood of San Lorenzo,” said Marlen.

In addition, the show Tximela kapitainaren izarrak was very emotive with the music of Joseba Tapia accompanied by Luis Fernandez on the violoncello.  “Projecting the Italian translation of the Basque text of this excellent interpretation that in the picturesque Trastevere, gave us goose bumps, nostalgia, life in prison and the hope that exuded by the verses of Luis Rezola who was arrested by the Italians during the Spanish Civil war in 1937.”

Other unrepeatable momtents were the screening of the documentary Gazta zati bat (A pieve of sheese) by Jon Maia, a tasting of a special frommaggio that filled the room (some had to stay outside).  In addition, the maitre and sommelier Libero Bruno Maggi, who trained for seven years in restaurants like Mugaritz, and Nerua in the Basque Country, provided a tasting of high level pintxos, in the Pignet neighborhood: tasting accompanied by the fun show Santi Balordi e Poveri Cristi, witn texts by Italo Calvino and Nobel Literature Prize, Dario Fo.

The 2013 Italian Basque Week concluded with the popular group Funkallisto with enthusiastic participation by the audience, “demonstrating the cultural bridge that links Italy and the Basque Country is,” concluded Marlen.