Italia

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Italy in Montreal

IN HOMAGE TO THE THEME of Expo ’67 – “Man and His World”, Italy intends to present, in her own pavilion, the most significant periods of her history and of the life of her people.

The pavilion will present our artistic tradition: the spirit of poetry and pursuit of perfection which animates the history of art in our country: the customs or ways in which life is perceived and the typical attitudes of Italians with some of society’s fundamental tenets; and finally, the progress achieved by our country in science and technology.

Such a complex presentation of these various aspects of Italian life has been made possible by the effective and competent collaboration of many public administrations, corporations, associations, companies and individuals – to whom deep gratitude is owed.

We trust that Italy’s presentation will be worthy of the two objectives we have set for ourselves; first, to pay tribute to our great friend, Canada, which celebrates its Centennial this year, and where so many Italians live and make their own contribution of knowledge and work; and second, to be worthy of the tradition of Italy, to provide a clear synthesis of the evolution of our country through the centuries. In this way we hope to contribute to the main scope of the Exhibition, which is to promote a better awareness and a greater solidarity among men.

Francesco BABUSCIO RIZZO

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THE VISITOR will have a panoramic view of the Italian Pavilion when approaching Ile Notre-Dame from the Pont des lles bridge. Its 30,000 square foot sail-shaped white roof almost touches the ground at one end and juts toward the sky at the opposite side. The surrounding grounds, the exterior as well as part of the interior surfaces are of a rough texture in colors of black and ochre. At higher elevations, the walls become large glass panels.

THE INTERIOR OF THE PAVILION is divided into three sections, which have as their themes different aspects of Italian life. The first symbolizes the classic values of the artistic tradition, and is also called poetry. The second, the customs section, illustrates Italian life through the centuries and in the present. Finally, the section dedicated to progress shows Italian achievements in the technical and scientific fields. The central area connecting the three sections is filled with projections of light created by the painter Emilio Vedova.

THE ROOF supports three sculptures, which illustrate the themes of the three sections within the pavilion: a bronze sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro representing tradition, a ceramic by Leoncillo Leonardi representing customs, and a stainless-steel composition by Cosimo Carlucci representing progress.