Italians were actively involved in the European presence on the China coast in the earliest days of the sixteenth century, almost five hundred
years ago. Throughout the intervening five centuries, Italians have
made, and continue to make, major contributions to the development of
Hong Kong and Macau. Important figures such as Alessandro Valignano,
Matteo Ricci and Eugenio Zanoni Volpicelli lived in or passed through
Hong Kong and Macau before moving to China or other East Asian
countries. They had a significant role in the history of these two
cities, which have been, and still are, a meeting place between China
and the rest of the world. The Italian legacy remains powerfully
evident, including the Ruins of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in Macau – a
UNESCO World Heritage Site – and Hong Kong’s education system.
Gianni Criveller has spent 22 years in Greater China, and is
currently Professor at The Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and
Philosophy in Hong Kong and Honorary Research Associate at the Centre
for Catholic Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He obtained
a Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology at the San Thomas Aquinas Theological
Faculty of Naples, with a thesis on early Jesuits’ China missions.
Professor Criveller presided over the historical commission for the
beatification of Matteo Ricci, the great China missionary. His books
include Preaching Christ in Late Ming China and From Milan to Hong Kong,
150 Years of Mission.
Angelo Paratico has been a resident in Hong Kong for the past 30
years. A businessman, historian and novelist, he is also a freelance
journalist with the South China Morning Post. Mr. Paratico is also the
author of novels, like Black Hole, The Karma Killers and Ben. Recently
he has published the first translation in English of Girolamo Cardano’s
(1501-1576) Nero: An Exemplary Life.
A complimentary copy of “500 Years of Italians in Hong Kong
& Macau” will be available to participants. The book is an
initiative of the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, in
collaboration with the Italian communities in the two cities.
Introductory remarks will be made by Ms. ALESSANDRA SCHIAVO, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong & Macau.
Tickets Price: HK$180 Asia Society members; HK$230 Non-members
Tickets available through https://ticketing.asiasociety.org.hk/?e=522ea34bbabda