The Vespucci tour

The Farnese Atlas will be the symbol of Italy at Expo 2025 in Osaka

During the Tokyo leg of the Villaggio Italia travelling with the Amerigo Vespucci ship, the programme of the Italian Pavilion at the Universal Exhibition was presented

30 August 2024

3' min read

It will be the Farnese Atlas that will represent Italy's cultural heritage in the Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, scheduled from 13 April to 13 October next year. The imposing marble sculpture (almost 20 quintals in weight and about 2 metres in height) belongs to the collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (Mann) and will arrive in Asia for the first time. It will be placed in the centre of the semicircular Piazza of the Italian Pavilion, whose architecture is inspired by the Ideal City of the Italian Renaissance designed by Mario Cucinella of MCA Architects.

The announcement was made by the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani, during a press conference inside the Villaggio Italia, the itinerant project promoting the excellence of Italy's cultural, artistic, historical and economic heritage, created on the occasion of the arrival in Tokyo of the Nave Scuola Amerigo Vespucci, which today concludes its Japanese leg before continuing on to Darwin, Australia.

The Italian Pavilion's schedule in Osaka

Yesterday's press conference inside the historic Veliero Vespucci was an opportunity to present some of the main events and projects that will animate Italy's presence at next year's Universal Exhibition. These include a schedule of live daily events and a series of initiatives and activities linked to the world of the sea, a sphere that historically unites two countries - Italy and Japan - characterised by an important maritime tradition. An entire day, 21 July 2025, will be dedicated to the 'Blue Economy', the economy of the sea, which will be held in the presence of the Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies, Nello Musumeci, together with a delegation made up of universities, research institutes active in the marine science sector, and companies from the sector.

Focus on Blue and Space Economy

The Blue Economy was also discussed yesterday in the Italian Village at a conference organised by the Navy and the Air Force and dedicated to the objectives for the coming years in the two sectors. Representatives of the institutions of both countries - from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) and the Italian Space Agency - as well as managers from companies such as Thales Alenia Space Italia and DEAS - took part.

One of the themes that emerged during the conference was that the enhancement of civil-military collaboration initiatives and public-private partnerships can guarantee concrete benefits both in terms of developing and strengthening operational and defence capabilities, and in terms of concrete social, scientific, economic and industrial returns.

"The Blue and the Space Economy are interconnected, because they often act as a back-up for each other,' said Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy Valentino Valentini. 'We see this, for example, in the field of communications, for the purposes and the technologies used. It is no coincidence that in Italy there are two bills proceeding almost in parallel'. With some 8,300 kilometres of coastline, Italy is historically projected towards maritime exploration, just as it began investing in the space economy in the 1960s, becoming the third nation in the world to put a satellite of its own into orbit and developing an important industry linked to the sector.

The strategic role of maritime activities

The Blue Economy, which focuses on the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, promotes sustainable fishing, maritime trade, renewable energy and conscious tourism, fostering economic development and preserving marine ecosystems. But the marine economy also plays an important role in international geopolitical stability: international cooperation aims to ensure maritime security, mitigate the impacts of climate change and reduce resource-related conflicts.

Recalling the difficulties in the current geostrategic situation, e.g. the navigation problems in the Red Sea, Valentini added that 'the cooperation between Italy and Japan and the reinforcement on the strategic level are also crucial to ensure the security of the sea routes, which have enabled development and prosperity on a global level'.