Page 28 - Lanzarotto Malocello from Italy to the Canary Islands

28 from Italy to the Canary Islands

he anniversaries offered to us by the calendar are important oc-
casions to focus our attention, distracted by day-to-day life, on
fundamental moments of the path through time: from the path of
each single individual to the one of mankind as a whole.
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Pausing for a moment to celebrate a birthday, or a 25 anniversary, or
a centenary, has the obvious purpose, however many people are there to
celebrate, of marking what has mattered and what, with the passing of
time, continues to matter, according to the symbols that human civilisa-
tions have always given themselves, everywhere.
The Italian legislator also conveyed this when he requested that the na-
tional community have a dedicated administrative tool at its disposal, man-
aged by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, which would
sanction the proposal of public entities and private individuals to celebrate
people and events, born of Italian culture, which have made a major con-
tribution to the progress of mankind.
These celebrations draw inspiration from calendar anniversaries to
perform new studies and to further knowledge, to bring to light, today,
contributions made in history, to reinforce and develop attention which
has perhaps lain dormant, to resume relations slackened in time. To give,
essentially, new shine to Italian ideals and cultural heritage.
Many opportunities have been taken in line with this approach in recent
decades. With regard to geographical culture, I wish to recall, for example,
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the celebrations for the 5 centenary of the Discovery of America and also
the 5 centenary of the travels of Vespucci.
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These celebrations were in fact moments of extraordinary re-examina-
tion of events that were crucial for the history of mankind. They provided
important new information on Columbus and Vespucci as individuals and
on their respective feats, contributions brought about by the focusing of
attention triggered by the anniversary and by the incentive provided by the
work of a number of public entities and private individuals. Lasting con-
tributions in the form of monuments which will be a fundamental point of
reference for decades to come.
The Società Geografica Italiana (Italian Geographic Society) also took
part in the commemorative initiatives, among others, and benefitted con-
siderably from it in its promotion and spreading of geographical culture.
The Association therefore jumped at the chance to join the Committee for
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the 7 centenary celebrations of the Discovery of the Canary Islands by the
Ligurian sailor Lanzarotto Malocello, promoted and led by Alfonso Licata.