The celebration of "Italian Language Week in the World" began with the opening of the exhibition "Rafaelo: Opera Omnia" on October 18 at the Archaeological Museum in Skopje. Due to the observance of the protocol established for visiting museums and holding events indoors, the opening was closed with a strictly defined number of guests. The opening of the exhibition was addressed by the director of the Archaeological Museum, Slavica Babamova.

- It is a special honor to host an exhibition that presents the top works of art of Rafael Santi, the great not only of Italian but also of world art, who created during the Renaissance, a time when the universal values ​​and virtues of antiquity were revived. . Thanks to the initiative of the Embassy of Italy in Skopje, from October 18, so in the next two months we have an extremely good opportunity to see part of his work.

Observing the pictures during the setting of the exhibition in recent days, the only thing that can be said is that words are not needed. The experience of each of the characters presented in the portraits is a unique personal encounter with a contemporary or interlocutor and that is the strongest reason why the admiration and deep respect for the grandeur of Rafaelo's painting talent increases.

Within its strategy for special attention to the education of all age groups and the inclusion of the museum, and in full accordance with the efforts of the Italian Embassy in Skopje, schools of all levels in the Republic of Northern Macedonia are invited to visit this exhibition and educational workshops. : basic, intermediate and advanced. The cooperation, especially in the field of archeology, between Northern Macedonia and Italy will be intensified in the very near future - Babamova emphasized.

For the realization of the exhibition Babamova expressed special gratitude to Mirko Merleti from "RaiCom", to the expert team of the Archaeological Museum: Irena Kolishtrkoska Nasteva, commissioner of the exhibition, Marjan Jaglikovski, outstanding connoisseur of Renaissance art, Elena Rafaba Kolevska Dimishkovska, Stevan Ilijevic, Ivanco Velkov, Branislav Atanaskovic, Marina Spirova, Natalija Danailova, Ivica Stojanovic and Redzep Bekirovski.

The Ambassador of Italy, HE Andrea Silvestri.

- I can say that I am especially proud that as Ambassador of Italy I have the opportunity to announce for the first time the beginning of the Italian Language Week in Skopje, paying tribute to one of the greatest greats, the Italian artist Rafaelo Santi (Sanzio), who is part of the "Holy Trinity" of the Renaissance, along with Leonardo and Michelangelo. This trio is part of the "Opera Omnia" project.

This project is a joint initiative between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation with RAI TV and is curated by one of the leading art experts in Italy and beyond, prof. Antonio Paoloci. "Rafaelo: Opera Omnia" is not just an exhibition. It is a journey through time, through the emotions and expressions of personalities portrayed so faithfully by Raphael's magical hands.

Last year, Italy celebrated the 500th anniversary of his death. He died very young, but managed to leave an indelible mark on the history of art. This exhibition is a high-tech travel collection of carefully selected reproductions of 14 portraits made by "il Grande Maestro" that we will admire together.

Thanks to the modern digital museum technologies, in the hall of the Archaeological Museum there is a so-called video cube, which will guide visitors through the life and works of the painter, acquainting them with the eternal values ​​of the precious artistic heritage of the past - said Ambassador Sylvester.

The exhibition will be open until 20.12.2021, and admission is free.