Following the advice of British authorities on the Coronavirus with regard to people travelling to/from northern Italy, we are sorry to inform you that Istituto Luigi Sturzo has cancelled the event.
A talk about the idea of Europe according to Luigi Sturzo, who, as far back as a century ago, wrote: “The United States of Europe are not a utopic vision, rather a long term ideal goal, with different phases and many hurdles”.
During his exile, between London, Paris and the US, Sturzo created connections between intellectuals and politicians who broadened his international gaze, eventually focusing on the central role of the Mediterranean and on the need for a united Europe. He worked enthusiastically towards the idea of a united Europe, morally and politically, as well as economically, strong and in a framework of peace.
The talk will centre on Sturzo as a “European man”, leading the way towards European integration and contributing to the definition of a collective European identity from a political, institutional, cultural and religious point of view. It will also encourage a reflection on the origins of the European Union and on its present challenges, revisiting Sturzo’s thinking from a contemporary perspective.
This event is part of a series of initiatives to mark the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Partito Popolare Italiano, and the 60th anniversary of Luigi Sturzo’s death.
Biography
Luigi Sturzo (1871-1959) was an Italian priest, public official and political organiser. His party was a forerunner of Democrazia Cristiana (Christian Democratic Party), founded in 1943. In January 1919 Sturzo founded the Partito Popolare Italiano (Italian Popular Party) and became its political secretary. Sturzo was a committed anti-fascist and in 1924 he went into exile to London. During this time he brought out more than 400 articles, republished after his death under the title Miscellanea Londinese. Sturzo returned to Italy in 1946 and, in 1952, was appointed Senator by the President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The Luigi Sturzo Institute was founded in 1951.
Greetings:
H.E. Raffaele Trombetta, Ambassador of Italy to the UK
Katia Pizzi, Director, Italian Cultural Institute in London
Speakers:
Nicola Antonetti, President, Istituto Luigi Sturzo
Giovanna Farrell-Vinay, historian
Salvatore Martinez, President, Polo di Eccellenza “Mario e Luigi Sturzo”
Federico Reho, Research Coordinator, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies
Chair:
Loredana Teodorescu, European and International Affairs Director, Istituto Luigi Sturzo