On 27^th Oct of 2009, Italy Ambassador Riccardo Sessa and Secretary of Cultural Heritage Giuseppe Proietti headed a delegation to BAC. The guests visited the graveyard of Mateo Ricci, and had a brief meeting with director Liang Jun and scholar Yu Sanle.

Dr. Liang and Mr. Yu talk with Italian guests

        The guests expressed deep appreciation to BAC for the preservation of the Graveyard of Mateo Ricci and other Missionries in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Mr. Riccardo Sessa said that many Italian people still remember Mateo Ricci and his story. The year of 2010 will mark the 40^th Anniversary of Sino-Italy diplomatic relations as well as the 400^th year after Mateo Ricci’s death, thus a series of cultural activities will be conducted between the two nations. Mr. Proietti expressed that his visit to China this time was under the invitation of Mr. Shan Jixiang, Minister of China State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and he came to BAC as soon as he arrived in Beijing. The Ministry of Cultural Heritage of Italy, a specialist body for cultural heritage preservation, has successfully cooperated with Chinese authority in this regard on many projects. They are ready to make their due share in refurbishing the graveyard of Mateo Ricci by sending experts for technical investigation and giving suggestion. In the meantime, they will also contact with China State Administration of Cultural Heritage and other government bodies for communication and coordination.

Italian guests visit the graveyard of Matteo Ricci

        On behalf of BAC, Director Liang expressed welcome to Italian guests and introduced the arrangement and preparation BAC had done for the 400^th Anniversary. After the meeting, director Liang presented guests the book History Recorded by the Stones: the 400 Year Story of “The Cemetery of Matteo Ricci and Other Foreign Missionaries” and the documentary Mateo Ricci in China.

(Dept. of International Cooperation & Exchange, translated by Hu Yu)