DOLCE VITAJ is the playful name given to the Italian festival held every June in Slovakia. This year it will offer Italian culture not only in Bratislava but in the Slovak towns of Zvolen, Košice, Trenčianske Teplice and Poprad as well.
Marco Gerbi of the Italian Cultural Institute told a press conference that this year’s festival aims to showcase not only classical Italian culture but more modern elements as well. The new Italian Ambassador to Slovakia, Roberto Martini, noted the festival’s focus on creativity and praised the preparations of his predecessor.
The 200th anniversary of the birth of composer Giuseppe Verdi will form the core for several festival programmes. A programme in Bratislava on June 8 will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Slovak-Italian diplomatic ties with classical music, along with other gen-res such as minimalist jazz and traditional folk music.
The festival will offer such Italian staples as food, films and fashion; including exhibitions of the works of famous designers Giorgio Armani, Laura Biagotti, Valentino, Prada and Versace. There will also be music, drama, puppet shows and an exhibit dedicated to Vespa, the popular Italian scooter.
Other events around Slovakia will include an open-air theatre festival in Zvolen Castle, an appearance by Italian director Yuri Ancarani at the film festival in Trenčianske Teplice, an offering of Italian foods by Vino Vitaj in Košice and a concert of Italian arias in Poprad. Poprad will also host a gastronomy market and film screenings, as well as a theatre performance commemorating the Slovaks who died in the World War I in northern Italy, at the Piave River. The entire programme can be found at the www.dolcevitaj.eu website.
