Consulate of Italy to establish gallery at Jorasanko campus

Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) and the Consulate of Italy in Kolkata has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for establishing a gallery at the university’s museum at its Jorasanko campus to commemorate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s visits to Italy.

Italy was the first European country that Tagore had visited. He travelled there thrice- the first time in 1878 when he was only 17-years-old, the second in 1925 and the final one in 1926.

He had been to more than ten cities in the country and his visits were vividly portrayed in the book titled, ‘Europe Jatrir Diary’.

There will be a display of Tagore’s photographs, Italian newspaper clippings, documents and handwritten messages at the gallery. A poem narrating his experiences in the country will also find a place in the gallery.

During his first visit to Rome, he stayed at the Grand Hotel, which is now known as Ritz. It is interesting to note that while climbing up the museum at Jorasanko, the windows resemble those of the Grand Hotel.

“The MoU inking is especially significant for strengthening the Indo-Italian friendship and in view of the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, to India in the first week of March,” said the RBU vice-chancellor (VC), Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhary.

The Italian Consulate in Kolkata will bear the expenses of the construction of this gallery and the installations of the exhibits. Italian Consul General, Dr Gianluca Rubagotti, HE CG signed the MoU on behalf of the Italian Consulate in Kolkata and the VC of RBU signed it on behalf of the university.

The gallery is likely to be opened to the public in a

few months.