On Friday, October 24, at the Rum Museum, the book was presented
“Some Roads to Cuba,” by the Italian writer Alessandro
Zarlatti, as part of the celebration of Language Week
Italian in the World, which ran from October 20 to 26 and
had a wide program of activities.

One conception of Cuban culture that has already become part of tradition is that of a “ajiaco”—according to Fernando Ortiz’s almost mythical definition—a mixture in which new elements are constantly immersed and incorporated. At the same time, our cultural idiosyncrasies influence other geographical areas, through various artistic expressions and the international flow of people. Languages, and linguistic exchanges, play a fundamental role as vehicles of culture, as they allow us to establish and define its rich fabric, both in the present and for posterity.

The celebration of the Week of the Italian Language in the World has been extended from October 20 to 26, with the theme “Writing the New Europe: Italian Publishing Industry, Authors and Readers in the Digital Age.” One of its privileged venues has been Havana, through the cooperation of the Italian Embassy in Cuba, the Dante Alighieri Society, the Office of the Historian of Havana, the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​​​of the University of Havana, the Rubén Martínez Villena Library and the Gabriele D’Annunzio University of Chieti, among other prestigious Cuban and Italian institutions.

The event, now in its fourteenth international edition, featured an excellent program of activities and enthusiastic public support. Of particular note for the island were the conference “European Integration and Latin American Integration,” given by Professor Domenico Fracchiolla of the Guido Carli Free International University of Social Studies, and the historical seminar “Emigration and Italian Presence in Cuba.” In the artistic field, the performance “Encuentros” (Meetings) by Danza Teatro Retazos and accordion maestro Marco Lo Russo stood out.

The presentation of the book “Some Roads to Cuba” by writer Alessandro Zarlatti filled the Friday, October 24th evening, accompanied by exquisite Cuban mojitos at the Rum Museum. Commentaries by the author and journalist Alberto Lentini gave us a fresh look at places and circumstances of our daily lives, beyond the traditional tourist attractions. The reciting of various excerpts from the works was performed by experienced Cuban actors such as Sheila Roche and Enrique Molina, with the participation of younger actors from recent classes at the Instituto Superior de Arte, accompanied by Lo Russo’s skillful accordion.

Since the landmark essay “The Secret Cuba” by Spanish philosopher María Zambrano, happily embraced by the magazine and the intellectual generation of Orígenes more than half a century ago, this intention to grasp, and in some way celebrate, the substratum of our essence has been manifested by the visitor who is spiritually integrating himself into the being and future of the nation. The book “Some Paths to Cuba” delves into similar quests, between osmosis and analysis, offering us the revelation of a foreigner who internalizes the complex realities of the island and, at the same time, becomes an emissary of our culture within Italian society, with projections throughout Europe. For its part, the Italian language, through this event and the ongoing work of institutions such as the Dante Alighieri Society, will continue to “walk” in Cuba and contribute to broadening our cultural horizons.