ArmenPress
Oct 22 2004
MINISTER OSKANIAN VISITED MKHITARIAN CONGREGATION OF VENICE
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 22, ARMENPRESS: Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian made a greeting speech at Let’s Save the Book scientific
conference in Saint Lazarus island of Venice. According to foreign
ministry press services, being the joint effort of Mkhitarian
Congregation of Venice and local authorities, the conference hosts
state officials, a representative of Austrian culture and science
ministry, prominent scientists, experts in Armenian identity and
university faculty and students.
The Mkhitarian Congregation was founded by Abbot Mkhitar,
prominent Armenian scholar and theologian, who converted to the Roman
Catholicism. In 1717, Abbot Mkhitar founded the renowned Congregation
of scholar monks in Venice, on St. Lazarus Island. The monastery of
Mkhitar developed a worldwide famous academy.
The purpose of the conference is to present features of Mkhitarian
rich library, recovery projects of unique publications and books and
prospects for opening a new library by the Veneto region.
The “Let’s Save the Book” project has spent $150,000 thus far to
properly preserve about 200,000 books kept in the Mkhitarian library.
Today, minister Oskanian visited also Venice Center for Armenian
Studies and Documentation which is located in Loggia del Temanza
Palazzo, founded in 1777. The center conducts important work in
Armenian medieval history, literature and art studies. Lectures are
organized and works are conducted for the recovery and preservation
of Armenian monuments. Part of this is funded by foreign ministry of
Italy.
Minister Oskanian and the center authorities exchanged ideas on
Armenian studies and protection of cultural values in Venice and
agreed to attract the attention of international community to the
issue.
Armenian foreign minister was hosted also at Murad Rafaelian
College in Venice which was established in 1836 and has been located
in Ka Zenobir famous palace since 50s of the same century. Prominent
figures of Armenian culture, including Daniel Varujan, Petros
Adamian, Vahram Papazian, Edgar Shahin and others studied in this
school.
In the evening, an exhibition dedicated to 300 year long history
of relations between Mkhitarian Congregation and Venice authorities
opened which will run by the end of January, 2005.
These days, Armenian ship Cilicia also reached the coast of Saint
Lazarus island closing the first stage of the journey. Minister
Oskanian visited the ship and talked with the crew handing them
souvenirs and medals of Armenian foreign ministry.
In the course of the whole visit to Italy, minister Oskanian was
accompanies by Italian Ambassador to Armenia Marco Clemente.