On May 9th, Prof. Silvia Calamandrei, a renowned Italian sinologist and Director of the Montepulciano City Library in Italy, was invited to deliver a lecture titled “The Bridge of Sino-Italian Friendship: the Karamandres’ Connection to China” at the School of Foreign Studies (SFS), Nankai University (NKU). The lecture was chaired by Prof. Yang Lin, Director of the Italian Language Department, with Liu Xinrui, a graduate student in Country and Regional Studies, as the interpreter. Attendees included faculty members Dr. Ni Yang, Associate Prof. Peng Qian, Dr. Shi Dou, Dr. Feng Lisi, Dr. Letizia Vallini, and Dr. Andrea Sartori from the Italian Department, along with students from various disciplines.
Prof. Calamandrei has long been dedicated to the translation and introduction of Chinese literature. She has translated and published works by numerous authors, including Yang Jiang, Su Tong, and Mo Yan, and organized and planned multiple China-themed cultural events and academic seminars, making significant contributions to promoting cultural exchange between China and Italy. In the early 1950s, she lived in Beijing with her parents, becoming one of the few foreign friends who personally experienced the social life in the early days of New China. She stands as both a witness and a participant in the friendship between China and Italy.
In 1955, Piero Calamandrei, Prof. Silvia Calamandrei’s grandfather, a famous Italian politician and jurist, led an Italian cultural delegation on a visit to the newly established People’s Republic of China. In the lecture, Prof. Calamandrei introduced the historical background of the delegation’s visit to China, shared amusing anecdotes from the trip, and displayed precious historical photos. Through the eyes of foreign friends, she vividly portrayed the social features of the early days of New China, deeply moving both faculty and students in attendance.
Subsequently, faculty and students jointly viewed the documentary “The Game of Gaze: Piero Calamandrei and His 1955 Journey to China,” produced by the Trentino Historical Museum and translated by faculty and students from the Italian Department of SFS, NKU.
During the interactive session, faculty and students actively posed questions about the lecture and documentary. Prof. Calamandrei provided insightful answers to each query, earning rounds of applause with her profound perspectives and humorous delivery. Attendees unanimously expressed that the lecture had deeply moved them and proved highly rewarding.
