Italy-Cyprus: Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra storia

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1 Vassos Karageorghis, “Cyprus and Italy: Introductory Remarks”, in Italy and Cyprus inAntiquity: 1500-450 BC, L. Bonfante/V. Karagheorgis(eds), Nicosia 2001, p. 1.2 Fulvia Lo Schiavo, “Cyprus and Sardinia in the Mediterranean trade routes toward the West”,in Proceedings of the International Symposium Cyprus and the Sea, V. Karageorghis/ D.Michaelides(eds), Nicosia 1995, p. 54-55. 3 Vasiliki Kassianidou, “Cypriot copper in Sardinia: Yet another case of bringing coals toNewcastle?”, in Italy and Cyprus in Antiquity: 1500-450 BC, op. cit., p. 110.

ITALY - CYPRUSNel mezzo del cammin di nostra storia

Demetra Demetriou

The relations between Cyprus and Italy are a theme that cannot be covered exhaus-tively within a few, or even many, pages. On the one hand, the fact that the twocountries are situated in the same geopolitical region creates a certain affinity and givesrise to mutual longings and aspirations. On the other, they are part of a centuries oldcommon cultural background, on which the entire European civilization is based. Sinceancient times, the two countries have been stakeholders in the historical developmentsof the region, sometimes entangled in confrontation, yet sharing values, traditions andlifestyles, riding together the waves of history in the Mediterranean.

Cyprus and Italy in antiquityAccording to archaeological finds to date, relations between the two countries

in ancient times date back to the Bronze Age and continue until Late Antiquity.The arrival of the Achaean Greeks on the island in the 13th century BC was accom-panied by a booming trade in copper between Cyprus, then known as Alasia, and itsneighbouring countries. According to the well-known Cypriot archaeologist,Vassos Karageorgis, Cypriot sailors arrived together with the Mycaeneans in thecentral Mediterranean at around the 14th-13th centuries BC, “particularly Sicilyand Sardinia, as has been ascertained by excavations”,1 bringing with them pots andother goods, to cite the example of Cannatello in Sicily.The discovery of a Cypriottype of stone anchor in Sardinia shows that Cypriot ships had gone as far as thisisland in the Late Bronze Age,2 while further research has revealed that Cypriotcopper was exported to Sardinia, despite the fact that the Italian island also producedcopper.3

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This precious metal brought wealth and fame to Cyprus, and may possibly haveeven given the island its name. The copper trade routes brought Cyprus close to theItalian islands of the Mediterranean, while mutual contacts and ties continuedthroughout the period of the Greek colonization of Italy and until Late Antiquity.

The Roman Period in Cyprus The decline of the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt allowed Rome to annex Cyprus in58 BC.4 The job of occupying the island was given to Marcus Cato the Younger,who met with no resistance. He was followed to Cyprus by Marcus Junius Bru-tus,5 later Caesar’s assassin. The orator Cicero opposed the decision of the senateto occupy Cyprus from the outset. He refers to this event in his works Pro Sestioand De domo in no uncertain terms.6 Despite his efforts, Cyprus was declared aRoman province, many slaves were transported to Rome under the name “Cypri-ots” and Ptolemy’s property was confiscated; most was spent in the Roman civilwars.7 Cicero never ceased to care for Cyprus and as proconsul of Cilicia (51 BC)took measures that benefitted the Cypriots. He wrote to his friend Gaius SextiliusRufus: “I recommend all Cypriots, but more so the Paphians. I will be grateful forany favour you do to them”.8 In 47 BC Julius Caesar gave control of the island toCleopatra VII of Egypt, and after his murder, Mark Antony again recognised hersovereignty over Cyprus.9 After the battle of Actium, Cyprus fell into the hands ofthe Romans for good (30 BC).

Excavations have brought to light a plethora of Roman monuments, which, alongwith other discoveries in Cyprus, show the progress the island had made in all areasduring the Roman period, from the Roman Forum and the wonderful mosaics ofPaphos, to the theatres of Salamis, Soloi and Kourion, as well as the Roman bathsand the gymnasium at Salamis.

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LINKED BY HISTORY - UNITED BY CHOICE: CYPRUS AND ITS EUROPEAN UNION PARTNERS

4 George Hill, A History of Cyprus, vol. I, Cambridge 1972, p. 206.5 Ibid., p. 228.6 Κυριάκος Χατζηιωάννου, Η αρχαία Κύπρος εις τας ελληνικάς πηγάς (Ancient Cyprus throughGreek sources), vol. IV-part 1, Συμπληρώματα εκ των ελληνικών επιγραφών και των λατινικώνκειμένων (Addenda from Greek epigraphs and Latin texts), Nicosia 1980, p. 290-293.7 Hill, op. cit., p. 209.8 Χατζηιωάννου, op. cit., p. 295.9 Hill, op. cit., p. 211.


Cyprus and Italy in the Middle Ages10

Italian commercial presence in Cyprus is evident from the 10th century11 and moreso after the creation of the Crusader states, whereupon trading privileges were grant-ed to the Venetians by the Byzantines. The Venetian colony became strong in the12th century,12 while during the Frankish period in Sicily, Venice and Genoa inter-fered in Cyprus.13 Medieval Cyprus was significantly affected by competition betweenVenice and Genoa between the 13th and the 15th centuries, a period during whichthe Lusignan kings offered privileges to Venice, Genoa and Pisa.14 The Venetianperiod began in Cyprus when Caterina Cornaro signed the island over to Venice in1489; the Venetians held it until the Ottoman conquest in 1571. The main things thatsurvived from this period were the Venetian fortifications, particularly in Nicosiaand Famagusta; Venetian rule in Cyprus coincided with the spiritual achievementsof the Italian Renaissance. Cypriot literature was influenced by the poetry ofPetrarch,15 while Renaissance elements were found in Cypriot Byzantine ecclesi-astical art, which gave rise in the 16th century to a new school of painting known as“Italo-Byzantine”.16

Leonardo da Vinci in Lefkara The historic village of Lefkara in the Troodos foothills has attracted thousands ofvisitors and is known particularly for its lace, which has been put on the UNESCOWorld Cultural Heritage list. Researchers have identified major similarities between

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ITALY - CYPRUS. NEL MEZZO DEL CAMMIN DI NOSTRA STORIA

10 For more on Cyprus-Italian relations in the Middle Ages see in the present volume ChrisSchabel, “Cyprus and Italy: The Middle Ages”, p. 475-488.11 Chris Schabel, “Cyprus and Italy: The Middle Ages”, in Cyprus has always been Europe,Nicosia 2006, p. 114-115.12 Ibid., p. 115-117.13 Ibid., p. 120.14 Ibid., p. 123-139.15See Θέμις Σιαπκαρά-Πιτσιλλίδου, Ο Πετραρχισμός στην Κύπρο. Ρίμες αγάπης, από χειρόγραφοτου 16ου αιώνα, με μεταφορά στην κοινή μας γλώσσα (Petrarchism in Cyprus. Rhymes of love,from a 16th century manuscript, translated into Modern Greek), Athens 1976.16Ανδρέας and Ιουδήθ Στυλιανού, “Η Βυζαντινή τέχνη κατά την περίοδο της Φραγκοκρατίας(1191-1570)” (“Byzantine art in the Frankish period (1191-1570)”), in Θ. Παπαδόπουλος(ed.), Ιστορία της Κύπρου (History of Cyprus), vol. V-part 2, Nicosia 1996, p. 1344.


Lefkara lace and old Italian lace from the Middle Ages: “The prevailing hypothe-sis regarding Lefkara lace is that it originates from the Venetians, whose wivesmay have taught the technique to the women of Lefkara”.17 This similarity may havesparked the interest of Italian humanist Leonardo da Vinci, who legend has it,came to Cyprus in 1481,18 when Venetian-born Caterina Cornaro was Queen ofCyprus. Da Vinci reportedly visited the village and returned with a tablecloth forthe cathedral of Milan, which was placed on the altar of the Duomo. To commem-orate this tradition, the Mayor of Lefkara visited Milan in 1986 on the occasion ofthe 600 anniversary of the foundation of the cathedral (1386), and at an officialceremony donated a lace tablecloth, which was symbolically placed on the altar ofthis impressive cathedral.19 In 1981 Cyprus issued a stamp portraying Da Vinci, inorder to commemorate his presence in Cyprus.

Italian travellers in CyprusMany Italian travellers came to Cyprus in the Middle Ages, mainly as pilgrims enroute to the Holy Land. These travellers depicted or recorded their impressionsand left important evidence about the history, geography and folklore of the islandas they experienced it during their visits.

Both the monk Giacomo di Verona20 (in Cyprus in 1335) and the pilgrim Nicoladi Martoni21 (1394) left interesting descriptions of Famagusta. Among the more renownedvisitors was the marquis Niccolὸ III d’Este22 (1412), heir to the duchy of Ferrara,who was guest at the court of King Janus of Cyprus. The merchant EmmanuelPiloti23 (1433-4) wrote the book Traité d’Emmanuel Piloti sur le passage en Terre

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17 Δημήτρης Σάββα, Λεύκαρα. Ιστορικά σημειώματα (Lefkara. Historical notes), Larnaca 1981,p. 22.18 Pierre Kousouros, Connaître Lefkara. Histoire-Traditions-Architecture, Lefkara 1998, p. 33.19 Λεύκαρα (Lefkara), no. 5, Lefkara 2011, p. 9.20Άντρος Παυλίδης, Η Κύπρος ανά τους αιώνες μέσα από τα κείμενα ξένων επισκεπτών της (Cyprusthrough the ages through the writings of foreign visitors), vol. I, Nicosia 1993, p. 93-96.21 Claude Delaval Cobham, Excerpta Cypria. Materials for a history of Cyprus, Nicosia 1969(1st edn 1908), p. 16-18; Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 108-115.22 Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 122-137.23 Ibid., p. 148-151.


sainte, available today in its French translation, which is interspersed with histor-ical evidence; it even proposed that Cyprus should be occupied by powerful rulers ofthe Christian West.24 Historical information can also be found in Gabriele Capodilista’s25

(1458) notes, published under the title Itinerario della Terra Santa, while SantoBrasca26 (1480) considerably promoted the island with repeated republications of hisbook Viaggio in Terra Santa. Equally important information is contained in the booksTrattato di Terra Santa and Pellegrinaggio a Gerusalemme nell’anno 1494 by themonk Francesco Suriano27 (1484) and the priest Pietro Casola28 (1495) respectively.Geographer Benedetto Bordone29 (1528) left behind one of the most important Iso-laria,30 which included the second most well-known map of Cyprus.31 The first man-uscript map of the island is also included in the Isolario of the Venetian sailor Bar-tolommeo dalli Sonnetti.32

Of special interest is the personal narrative of soldier Fabriano Falchetti33 (1570),who lived through the events of the Ottoman conquest, in a letter addressed to theDoge of Venice. The narrative of vicar Angelo Calepio34 (1570-71) deals with theresistance of Nicosia and Famagusta. The siege and fall of Famagusta are also thesubject of an important text by officer Angelo Gatto35 (1570-71). The geographicalposition and history of Cyprus are described in the book of Tomasso Porcacchi36

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24 Ibid., p. 148.25 Cobham, op. cit., p.35; Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 160-162.26 Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 194-196.27 Cobham, op. cit., p. 48-49; Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 219-222.28 Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 253-260.29 Cobham, op. cit., p. 61-62; Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 281-282.30 Isolaria: Books that contained lots of information on various islands of the world and importantmaps, and were mainly intended for use by seafarers.31 Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 281.32 Leonora Navari (ed.), Maps of Cyprus from the collection of the Bank of Cyprus CulturalFoundation, Nicosia 2004, p. 24.33 Cobham, op. cit., p. 80-81; Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 340-342.34 Cobham, op. cit., p. 149-162; Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 354-395.35 Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 396-450.36 Cobham op. cit., p. 162-168; Παυλίδης, op. cit., p. 454-469.


(1576) L’isole più famose del mondo, while the state of Maronites on the island isdiscussed in Missione apostolica al patriarca e Maroniti del monte Libano byGirοlamo Dandini37 (1596-7). Pietro della Valle38 (1625), one of the most significanttravellers of the 17th century, gives important information in his writings about thetowns of Cyprus. References to Cyprus in a text by law professor Francesco PiacenzaNapolitano39 (1628) pertain both to the island’s geography and history. GiovanniMariti, priest and consul of Tuscany in Cyprus (1760-1767),40 was perhaps the mostimportant foreign visitor who wrote about the island in the Ottoman period. His greatwork Viaggi per l’isola di Cipro contains an enormous amount of information onthe island in the 18th century.41 He even left behind a dissertation on the ancientkingdom of Kition, while in another book he refers to the viticulture and the winesof Cyprus.42 Moreover, the book written by the Italian-born American consul inCyprus Luigi Palma di Cesnola Cyprus, its Ancient Cities, Tombs & Temples pro-vides much information about Cyprus during his eleven year-long stay on the island.43

Italian travellers and artists passed through Cyprus in the 19th century as well.David Solomon Corrodi (1844-1905), who visited Cyprus in around 1877, did anoil painting entitled Larnaca auf Zypern, which depicts an excellent example of agirl’s dress.44 The oil painting Nicosie45 by Italian architect Eugenio Botazzi(1860-1919) depicts an aspect of Nicosia, where the cathedral of Agia Sophiadominates.

Both the written and artistic testimony of Italian travellers form an importantcontribution to the reconstruction of the history and image of the island from theMiddle Ages to modern times.

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37 Cobham, op. cit., p. 181-184; Παυλίδης, op. cit., vol. II, Nicosia 1994, p. 522-525.38 Cobham, op. cit., p. 210-215; Παυλίδης, vol. II, op. cit., p. 580-587.39 Παυλίδης, vol. II, op. cit. p. 600-637.40 Ibid., p. 825-920.41 Giovanni Mariti, Travels in the island of Cyprus, trans. Claude Delaval Cobham, London 1971.42 Id., Wines of Cyprus: a study, trans. Gwyn Morris, Athens 1984.43 Άννα Γ. Μαραγκού, Ο Πρόξενος Λουίτζι Πάλμα ντι Τσεσνόλα. 1832-1904. Έργα και Ημέραι(Consul Luigi Palma di Cesnola.1832-1904. Works and Days), Nicosia 2000, p. 80-84. 44 Rita C. Severis, Travelling Αrtists in Cyprus.1700-1960, London 2000, p. 144.45 Ibid., p. 147.


The Italian community and consulate in Cyprus An Italian commercial presence has traditionally existed in Cyprus since the end ofthe 10th century; a Venetian presence in particular has existed since after 1100.46 Inthe 13th century, the Lusignan kings gave privileges to the Italian towns of Genoa,Venice and Pisa47 and soon consulates of these cities started operating in Cyprus tosafeguard their commercial interests. The Genoese consul of Famagusta “may bethe only consul in the history of the East who managed to become both deputy andgovernor of the town in which he was based”.48 At the beginning of Frankish rule inCyprus, even monastic orders were established on the island, as well as the LatinChurch under the Pope of Rome, while in 1219 St. Francis of Assisi also visited theisland.49

After the island fell to the Ottomans many of the Cypriot Catholics who survivedleft the island. Between 1595 and 1605 Venice probably set up a consulate in Cyprus.50

It became possible to reconstitute the Italian community towards the end of the18th century in the centre of consular activity, Larnaca. During this time evidenceexists of consulates for Venice, Naples and Tuscany.51 A table of Italian consulspublished in the Κυπριακά Χρονικά52 (Kypriaka Chronika) and covering the period1825-1922, mentions the following Italian53 consuls chronologically: CarpenetiBatista (1825-37), Vernoni Roberdo(1837-42), Ceruti Marcello (1842-6), BenziRaffaele (1846-52), Farina Jovanni Maria(1852-55), Berio Bernardo (1855),Mattei Baldassare (1885-63), Negri Candido (1863-6), Simodetti Melchiore (1867-8),

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47 Γιώργος Γεωργής, Στις απαρχές της ελληνικής εξωτερικής πολιτικής (The beginnings ofGreek foreign policy), Athens 1991, p. 51.48 Ibid.49Αλέξανδρος Μιχαήλ Χατζηλύρας, “Η πορεία των Λατίνων στην Κύπρο” (“The Latins ofCyprus”), Χρονικό (Chroniko), no. 40, Nicosia 23 November 2008, p. 4.50 Αντώνης Κ. Ιντιάνος, “A Chronology of Cyprus by Sir Ronald Storrs. Συμπληρώσεις” (“AChronology of Cyprus by Sir Ronald Storrs. Addenda”), Κυπριακά Χρονικά (KypriakaChronika), vol. XI, Larnaca January-March 1935, p. 33.51 Γεωργής, op. cit., p. 56.52 Νεοκλής Κυριαζής, “Πρόξενοι και προξενεία εν Κύπρω” (“Consuls and consulates in Cyprus”),Κυπριακά Χρονικά (Kypriaka Chronika), vol.VII, no. 3, Larnaca August-September 1930, p. 206-207.53Kyriazis uses the word “Italy” in this table for the Italian states before unification (1861),although he also names separately the consulates of Sardinia, Sicily and Naples.


Colucci Riccardo (1868-72), Colucci Enrico(1872-3), Gambertinghi Francesco(1873-4), Solanelli Gaetanο (1874-8), Magni Renato(1878-80), Maddalena Giuseppe(1880-2), Degoyzueta Luigi (1882-4), Chicco Enrico (1885-8), Raybandi Annibale(1888-9), Mazza Francesco(1889-93), Antonio Mantovani(1897-1922), PietroMantovani (1922). The table states that M. Cerutti και R. Benzi were also consulsfor Sardinia, while for Sicily the writer refers to Giuseppe T. Cirilli (“consul dedeux Sicile 26 Mai 1866”54) and for Naples, Galimery Gadé and Marino Mattei.

The consuls represented their country before the local authorities and providedprotection for their compatriots. They were members of the aristocracy of the timeand were occupied with trade and money-lending.55 The growth of economicactivity in Larnaca during Ottoman rule allowed for the further expansion of theItalian community. After the annexation of Malta by the British Empire (1815)many Italians reportedly fled to Cyprus.56 The Italian community was reinforcedconsiderably after the British took over Cyprus, in 1878.57

The Catholics of Cyprus were mostly of Italian origin; the term Latin com-munity prevailed after 1940 with the entry of Italy into the war on the side ofGermany and the outbreak of the Greco-Italian war. Today the Latin religious groupis fully integrated in the Cypriot way of life and the Greek language, contributingsignificantly to the intellectual, economic and social life of the island. It still main-tains its autonomy and its own identity and has an elected representative in the CyprusHouse of Representatives.

The Cypriot community in ItalyItaly, and Venice in particular, has always been a magnet for the intellectual andcommercial elite of Cyprus. During the Venetian period many Cypriots moved toVenice, as students and immigrants. Distinguished individuals include the bene-

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54 Κυριαζής, op. cit., p. 207.55 Γεωργής, op. cit., p. 58.56 Χατζηλύρας, op. cit., p. 7.57 Ibid.


factor Maria Chalepa,58 lady-in-waiting of Caterina Cornaro, Michael Membre,59

cartographer and interpreter of the Venetian Republic, and Emmanuel the Cypriot,60

Rector of the Faculty of law at the University of Padua. Besides the well-knownCypriot personalities, there also lived in Venice many artisans, tailors, carpenters,labourers or soldiers,61 most of whom had fled as refugees after the occupation ofCyprus by the Ottomans in 1571. Amongst the refugees were important Cypriot fam-ilies, who bolstered the Greek community of Venice. Some of these stood for theiractivities, such as the lawyer Thomas Flanginis Avlonitis, who gave away part ofhis estate to various benefactions.62 It was as a result of one of his donations thatthe Flanginian School63 was set up in 1665, named after his Cypriot mother. Fol-lowing in Flanginis’ footsteps, came benefactor Bernardo Akris.64 Other notableCypriot refugees were the painter John,65 who painted the dome of the church ofSt. George of the Greeks, as well as Livios Zakras,66 who taught at the Universityof Ferrara. Ioannis Sozomenos was an eminent physician,67 while Errico KaterinosDavilas68 stood out for his military and intellectual activity.

A number of Cypriots fled to Rome after the Ottoman conquest in 1571, seek-ing the assistance of the Holy See to free prisoners or enslaved relatives.69 Many

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58 Πασχάλης Μ. Κιτρομιλήδης, “Κύπριοι στη Βενετία” (“Cypriots in Venice”), in Άγγελ ΝικολάουΚονναρή (ed.), H Γαληνοτάτη και η Ευγενεστάτη. Η Βενετία στην Κύπρο και η Κύπρος στη Βενετία(The Most Serene and the Most Noble. Venice in Cyprus and Cyprus in Venice), Nicosia 2009, p. 210.59 Νάσα Παταπίου, “Μιχαήλ Μεμπρέ: ένας κύπριος Μάρκο Πόλο” (“Michael Membre,A Cypriot Marco Polo”), Χρονικό (Chroniko), no. 1, Nicosia 17 February 2008, p. 19.60 Κιτρομιλήδης, op. cit., p. 209.61 Ibid., p. 210.62 Ζαχαρίας Ν. Τσιρπανλής, Ο κυπριακός ελληνισμός της διασποράς και οι σχέσεις Κύπρου-Βατικανού (1571-1878) (Cypriot Hellenism in the diaspora and relations between Cyprus andthe Vatican(1571-1878)), Salonica 2006, p. 40.63The Flanginian School closed down between 1797-98 and then continued to operate up toand including the 20th century.64 Τσιρπανλής, op. cit., p. 44-45.65 Ibid., p. 77-78.66 Ibid., p. 79-80.67 Ibid., p. 81.68 Ibid., p. 93.69 Ibid., p. 137.


attended the Greek College of the town, such as Neophytos Rodinos.70 Petros Denoreswas well-known for being the secretary to a number of Popes and other officials ofthe Holy See.71 It is worth noting that the Denores family was closely connectedwith Pope Clement VII “thanks to its relationship with the Cypriot Flatro family, fromwhere the Pope’s paternal grandmother was descended”.72 The case of Victor Zem-betos, who was active between Turin and Rome, deserves special mention, since heorganized one of the most important revolutionary movements in Cyprus around 1608,in cooperation with the duchy of Savoy.73 The attempt was crushed by the Ottomans,but he managed to return to Savoy offering significant military services there.74

Several Cypriots distinguished themselves at the University of Padua, both asstudents and teachers, such as Alexandros Singlitikos75 (1570-1647) and JasonDenores76 (1510-1590). Denores took part in groups of intellectuals of the Renais-sance, producing a significant amount of literary work, which can be found todayin many European and American libraries.77 He went down in literary history for hisfeud with Giovanni Battista Guarini, “one of the major literary controversies ofthe late Renaissance”.78 Many Cypriots were also active in Naples,79 Trieste,80 Livornoand Pisa.81

A large number of refugees fled to Italy after the pogroms that the Christian

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70 Ibid., p. 153. 71 Ibid., p. 209.72 Άγγελ Νικολάου-Κονναρή, “Κύπριοι της διασποράς στην Ιταλία μετά το 1570/1: η περίπτωσητης οικογένειας Δενόρες” (“The Cypriots of the diaspora in Italy after 1570/1: the case of theDenores family”), in Νικολάου-Κονναρή (ed.), op. cit., p.220.73 Φίλιος Ζαννέτος, Ιστορία της νήσου Κύπρου από της αγγλικής κατοχής μέχρι σήμερον (Thehistory of the island of Cyprus from the British occupation till today), vol. I, Larnaca 1910,p. 1081.74 Τσιρπανλής, op. cit., p. 212.75 Ibid., p. 107.76 Ibid., p. 106.77 Νικολάου-Κονναρή, op. cit., p. 227.78 Ibid.79 Τσιρπανλής, op. cit., p. 213-222.80 Ibid., p. 225-228.81 Ibid., p. 223-225.


population of the island was subjected to in 1821, settling mainly in Venice andTrieste.82 Many wealthy merchants distinguished themselves in the Greekcommunity of Venice, such as Antonakis Liasides.83

The Cypriot presence in Italy today typically consists of mixed families andoperates around the Italian Federation of Cypriots “Nima”, with a significant cul-tural contribution. The Italian lands undoubtedly played an important role in theCypriot diaspora between the 14th and 20th centuries. Cypriots in Italy stood outwith their presence and played a significant role in the intellectual and social lifeof the country.

Luigi Palma di Cesnola and the Cypriot antiquities Italian born Luigi Palma di Cesnola was the American consul in Cyprus from1865 to 1876. Cesnola has become known for having transported a large numberof Cypriot antiquities from the island. He conducted excavations at 16 archaeolog-ical sites, discovering 15 ancient temples, 65 necropolis’ and 6 aqueducts,84

amassing a collection of more than 35,000 priceless objects from the Bronze Ageto the Roman period.85

His discoveries play a primary role in the reconstruction of the history of ancientCyprus. He was even honored with a Gold Medal from the King of Italy, UmbertoI.86 However, he did not conduct the excavations in a scientific manner; many antiq-uities having been lost, damaged or completely destroyed in the process of beingremoved from the country. The largest part of them is today exhibited in theCypriot Collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York.87

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82 Κωνσταντίνα Ζάνου, “Κύπριοι πρόσφυγες στη Βενετία και την Τεργέστη μετά το 1821” (“Cypriotrefugees in Venice and Trieste after 1821”), Χρονικό (Chroniko), no. 146, Nicosia 9 January 2011, p. 5.83 Ibid., p. 7.84 Μαραγκού, op. cit., p. 115-119.85 He writes about his discoveries in his book Cyprus, its Ancient Cities, Tombs & Temples (1877).His brother Alessandro Palma di Cesnola also carried out excavations at Salamis, and wrotethe book Salaminia (Cyprus). The History, Treasures and Antiquities of Salamis in the islandof Cyprus (1884). 86 Αλήθεια (Alithia), Limassol 10/22 April 1882.87 Βάσος Καραγιώργης, Το Ίδρυμα Α.Γ. Λεβέντη και οι συλλογές κυπριακών αρχαιοτήτων σταμουσεία του εξωτερικού (The Α. G. Leventis Foundation and the collections of Cypriot antiquitiesin museums abroad), Athens 2004, p. 68-77.


A poem by Giuseppe Regaldi,88 a 19th century Italian poet, “Hymn to Aphrodite”,extols Cesnola; while it cannot extinguish the predatory action of the latter in Cyprus,nevertheless it can become, through its lyrics, a small catharctic antidote:

Oh Golgoi, Idalion, Paphos, AmathusYour memory is not damagedIt shines with outstanding affectionIn the spirit.89

Victor Emmanuel II: “King of Sardinia, Cyprus and Jerusalem”Relations between the duchy of Savoy90 and Cyprus date back to the Middle Ageswhen the island became connected with the house of the Lusignans through anumber of marriages. Anne de Lusignan, daughter of King Janus of Cyprus marriedthe duke of Savoy,91 and her son, Louis, married Charlotte de Lusignan, Queen ofCyprus (1458-1460).92 While the latter’s half brother James II won over in their bat-tle for the throne, Charlotte never gave up her claims, bequeathing her rights to thethrone of Cyprus to the House of Savoy. Charles I was the first duke of Savoy,who called himself “King of Cyprus”.93

After the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus, the duchy unsuccessfully tried to asserttheir rights, by sending an Ambassador to Sultan Selim II.94 Later they thought upa number of schemes to take over the island, while revolutionary movements wereinstigated in the full knowledge of the Duke of Savoy, such as that led by Zembe-tos (1608).95 The Cypriots themselves wanted to be freed from the Ottomans withthe help of the duchy and to be the duchy’s subjects, as can be seen in letters and

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88 Regaldi, having read Cesnola’s book, wrote a book of his own titled Le antichità di Cipro e ilgenerale di Cesnola (1879). 89Giuseppe Regaldi, “Ύμνος στην Αφροδίτη”(“Hymn to Aphrodite”), in Μαραγκού, op. cit.,p. ΧΙΧ.90The Duchy of Savoy (1416-1720): A state that included Italian and French territory, with Turinas its capital in 1563.91 Hill, vol. II, op. cit., p. 466.92 Ζαννέτος, op. cit., p. 892.93 Hill, vol. II, op. cit., p. 72.94 Ζαννέτος, op. cit., p. 1070.95 Ibid., p. 1081.


memoranda from archbishops (Benjamin,96 Christodoulos,97 Nikiphoros98) and oth-er personalities to the Duke of Savoy: “And thereof, Your Highness, we hope to Godthat we shall be delighted to see you king of Cyprus, as were your ancestors beforeyou, and we therefore kiss Your Highness’s feet”.99

Charlotte’s legacy was not abandoned even after the establishment of the King-dom of Sardinia in 1720. Up until the decree was issued establishing the Kingdomof Italy on 17 March 1861, Victor Emmanuel II, the King of the Savoy dynasty, borethe honorific title “King of Sardinia, Cyprus and Jerusalem”.100 The birth of a unit-ed Italy meant that Cyprus and Jerusalem had lost an Italian king.

Victor Emmanuel III in FamagustaIn March 1887 the heir to the Italian throne Victor Emmanuel arrived in Famagus-ta on board the royal steamship “Savoia”.101 The Italian consulate had since Febru-ary already informed all Italian subjects102 and the Italian community was feverishlypreparing to welcome him.103 He was greeted in the harbour by the Italian consulE. Chicco, officials and many Italian citizens.104 The crown prince visited theantiquities of the city and asked permission to take away a cannon ball and a pieceof armour “in commemoration of the events whereby Venice prevailed in Fama-gusta”.105 He left with the best impressions and the Italian community presented himwith a photo album, with the most beautiful pictures of Cyprus.106

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96 Ibid., p. 1073.97 Ibid., p. 1081.98 Ibid., p. 1097.99 Ibid., p. 1080-1081.100 “Il Re Vittorio Emmanuele assume il titolo di Re d’Italia 17 marzo 1861”, Statuto Fonda-mentale del Regno in data 4 marzo 1848, corredato di Lettere Patenti, Decreti, Proclami, Ple-bisciti con intestazioni degli atti di governo e formola per promulgazione delle leggi, Stampe-ria della Gazzetta del Popolo, Turin 1884, p. 27.101 Αλήθεια (Alithia), Limassol 19 March 1887.102 Φωνή της Κύπρου (Foni tis Kyprou), Nicosia 24/5 February 1887.103 Σάλπιγξ (Salpigx), Limassol 23 February 1887; Ένωσις, Larnaca 27/11 March 1887.104 Αλήθεια (Alithia), Limassol 19 March 1887.105 Ibid.106 Ibid.


Cyprus and the Italian-occupied Dodecanese The Treaty of Sevres (1920) linked the fate of Cyprus to that of the Italian occupa-tion of Rhodes. According to article 2 of the Treaty: “Italy shall allow the popula-tion of Rhodes to decide freely the destiny of the island, on the day that Britain wouldmake the decision to cede the island of Cyprus to Greece”.107 However, the Mus-solini government denounced the treaty and confirmed the Italian possession ofthe Dodecanese with the Treaty of Lausanne (1923).

The visit of the Italian commander of the Dodecanese, Mario Lago, to Cyprusin October 1927 was condemned by the Greeks of Cyprus.108 Nevertheless, on hisarrival on 21 October 1927, the British Governor of Cyprus, Ronald Storrs, andother officials met him with honours,109 to the sound of the Italian national anthem.110

The quay was decorated with British and Italian flags.111 With his visit, Lago wasreturning a similar visit by Storrs to Rhodes.112

Although the Cypriots, in their pursuit of national emancipation, stood along-side the Dodecanese Greeks against the Italian occupation, the British governmentof Cyprus maintained excellent relations with the Italian Dodecanese administra-tion, which were only interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.

Cyprus and Italy during the Second World War The Cyprus military unit formed by the British in 1939 consisted of volunteers whofought on various fronts and excelled in some of the major Allied operations ofWorld War II.

A total of five platoons and two land transport platoons of Cypriots took part inthe campaigns of Sicily and Northern Italy after the collapse of the Axis in North

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107 Σπυρίδων Λουκάτος, “Δωδεκάνησα”(“Dodecanese”), Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους (Historyof the Greek nation), vol. XV, Athens 1978, p. 462.108 See article “Ξεφορτώσου μας”(“Get rid of us”) in the satirical newspaper Νέα Καμπάνα(Nea Kampana), Limassol 27 October 1927. Equally characteristic was the raising of Greek flagsin Nicosia during the visit of the Italian Governor, see Φωνή της Κύπρου (Foni tis Kyprou),Nicosia 29 October 1927.109 Ελευθερία (Eleftheria), Nicosia 22 October 1927.110 Νέος Κυπριακός Φύλαξ (Neos Kypriakos Fylax), Nicosia 26 October 1927.111 Ελευθερία (Eleftheria), Nicosia 26 October 1927.112 Νέος Κυπριακός Φύλαξ (Neos Kypriakos Fylax), op. cit.


Africa.113 The Cypriot contingent participated in the decisive battle of MonteCassino, where “under a hail of bullets, bombs and outcoming pieces of rock theycarried the military equipment up the mountain and took down the wounded,offering support to the Polish army corps fighting there”.114 Many died heroically,others received medals of bravery for their actions. The rest of the Cypriot unitsfought in operations in the other parts of northern Italy until the end of the war. Afterthe fall of Monte Cassino, they entered Rome, and advanced towards Livorno,Florence, Bologna and Ferrara.115 They took part in the battles of Florence, Bologna,Ferrara, Arezzo, Arno and Faenza.116 In addition, more than 400 Cypriots weredetained in Prisoners of War (POW) camps in Italy.117 Due to restrictions inreceiving mail, Cypriot prisoners sent news to their loved ones through the Vaticanin Rome.118 According to an account by Antonis Hadjiosif,119 who was held prisonerat camps in Bari, Tuturano and Esine, in some cases, the conditions were some-what more humane.

In September 1943 many Cypriot prisoners were released in northern Italy afterthe fall of the Badoglio government.120 Although many of them were recaptured,some managed to escape to Switzerland “with the help of Italian anti-fascistswhile others found refuge and hospitality in Italian families”.121 Such was the case

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113 Ανδρέας Μ. Γεωργίου, Οι Κύπριοι στρατιώτες στο Β΄ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο (Cypriot soldiersin the Second World War), Nicosia 2001, p. 84.114 Nicos Panayiotou (ed.), H συμμετοχή της Κύπρου στο Β΄ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο / The participa-tion of Cyprus in World War II, Nicosia 1985, p. 28. 115 Γεωργίου, op. cit., p. 84-85.116 Ibid., p. 85.117 Νίκος Μπατσικανής, Η προσφορά της Κύπρου στο Β΄ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο. Μια άγνωστηπτυχή του Ελληνισμού (The contribution of Cyprus in the Second World War. An unknown aspectof Hellenism), Athens 2011, p. 149: “Military camp no. 65 (Italy): 365. Military camp no. 59(Italy): 45. Military camp 57 P.M. 3200 (Italy): unknown number”.118 Ibid., p. 150.119 Αντώνης Βρ. Χατζηιωσήφ, Εμπειρίες και αναμνήσεις του Β΄ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου, (Experiencesand memories of the Second World War), Nicosia 1993.120 Πέτρος Παπαπολυβίου, Αναζητώντας την ελευθερία. Ένας Κύπριος στρατιώτης του βρετανικούστρατού στην κατοχική Θεσσαλονίκη και Χαλκιδική, 1941-1942 (In search of freedom. A Cypriotsoldier in the British army in occupied Salonica and Halkidiki, 1941-1942), Salonica 2009, p. 70.121 Ibid.


Hadjiiosif, who escaped with the help of Italians of the region: “Really, whatstrange things happen in times of war? In the morning, your Italian jailer is guard-ing that you don’t approach the barbed wires and in the afternoon he is escaping withyou”.122 Hadjiiosif was put up by Fornari at his house and later by two other Italianfamilies.123 Costas Constantinou’s story, who was hidden by the Gronje family nearBergamo, is also worth mentioning; Constantinou fell in love with and later mar-ried Esther Gronje, with whom he settled in Kakopetria after the war ended.124

Cypriot women also made an important contribution to the struggle againstthe Axis, such as Niki Papadopoulou-Kikkidi, who had been arrested in Greece,condemned to many years of imprisonment for her resistance activities andtransferred to Italy “where she was detained for about two years in various prisonsin inhumane conditions”.125 The release of all the women kept in Brindisi was theoutcome of her own actions.126

A total of 54 Cypriots are buried in Italian military cemeteries in Ancona, Cassi-no, the Arezzo, Caserta, Coriano Ridge, Milan, Minturno, Naples, Padua, Ravenna,the Sangro River, Salerno, Cesena, Faenza, Foiano della Chiana, and Forli.127

Diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Italy Diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Italy were established with Cyprus’independence in 1960.128 Since then, the two countries have always enjoyed closeand uninterrupted relations. The various Ambassadors played an important role instrengthening and developing these relations. The first Italian Ambassador to Cyprus,Pietro Solari, presented his credentials to President Makarios on 9 October

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122 Χατζηιωσήφ, op. cit., p. 164.123 Ibid., p. 161-174.124 Παπαπολυβίου, op. cit., p. 71.125 Πέτρος Παπαπολυβίου, “Νίκη Παπαδοπούλου Κικκίδη”(“Niki Papadopoulou-Kikkidi”),Ο Φιλελεύθερος (Phileleftheros), Nicosia 14 January 2012, p. 8.126 Panayiotou (ed.), op. cit., p. 62.127 Πέτρος Παπαπολυβίου, Οι Κύπριοι εθελοντές του Β΄ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου: Tα Μητρώα, οικατάλογοι και ο φόρος του αίματος (The Cypriot volunteers of the Second World War: The Register,the catalogues and the tribute of blood), Nicosia 2012, p. 584-586.128 Ο Φιλελεύθερος (Phileleftheros), Nicosia 20 August 1960.


1961.129 Cyprus’Ambassador in Athens, Nicos Kranidiotis was accredited to Romein 1962.130 Cyprus opened an embassy in Rome in 1982 with the first residentAmbassador being George Pelagias, who presented his credentials to Italian Pres-ident Alessandro Pertini on 4 February 1982.131

The first meeting between the Presidents of the two countries occurred on Ital-ian soil in 1962 when President Makarios met with Antonio Segni during a privatevisit.132 In March 1971 Makarios received the former King of Italy Umberto, whowas on a private visit to the island, at the Presidential Palace.133 Another importantevent was the visit to Cyprus in 1971 of the Italian Foreign Minister, Aldo Moro, a well-known Italian politician, who also served as Italian Prime Minister and Chairmanof the Italian Christian Democratic Party; he was kidnapped and murdered bythe Red Brigades in 1978. While in Nicosia, he met with his Cypriot counterpartSpyros Kyprianou,134 and in 1974 he invited Cyprus’ Foreign Minister IoannisChristophides, to Rome.135 In 1979 Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Nicos Rolandis metwith his counterpart Αrnaldo Forlani in the Italian capital,136 and in 1980 he met withItalian Foreign Minister Emilio Colombo.137

Cyprus-Italian relations further improved in 1980 after President SpyrosKyprianou paid a visit to Rome where he met Prime Minister Francesco Cossiga,Foreign Minister Attilio Ruffini138 and President Alessandro Pertini.139 The ForeignMinisters of the two countries also had a meeting during this visit.140 In September1981 talks were held in Rome between the two ministers on the Cyprus problem

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129 Cyprus State Archives, ref. FA1/1012, “Επίδοσις Διαπιστευτηρίων του Ιταλού Πρέσβεωςκ. Σολάρι” (“Handing of credentials of the Italian Ambassador Mr. Solari”).130 Ο Φιλελεύθερος, (Phileleftheros), Nicosia 30 November 1962.131 Press and Information Office, Press Release no. 1, Nicosia 6 February 1982.132 Ο Φιλελεύθερος (Phileleftheros), Nicosia 27 September 1962.133 P.I.O., Press Release no. 6, Nicosia 17 March 1971.134 P.I.O., Press Release no. 4, Nicosia 5 October 1971.135 P.I.O., Press Release no. 6, Nicosia 22 April 1974.136 P.I.O., Press Release no. 5, Nicosia 21 March 1979.137 P.I.O., Press Release no. 1, Nicosia 29 July 1980.138 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 4 March 1980.139 P.I.O., Press Release no. 5, Nicosia 5 March 1980.140 Ibid.


and Cyprus-EEC relations.141 President Kyprianou again visited Italy in April 1982,where he met with President Pertini, whom he briefed on developments regardingthe Cyprus problem.142 In July 1982 Italian Foreign Minister Εmilio Colombo paida visit to Cyprus, on the invitation of his counterpart Nicos Rolandis. The Italian For-eign Minister was also received by President Kyprianou,143 who paid a visit toRome in May 1983, where he met with President Pertini and Prime Minister Fan-fani.144 President Kyprianou was accompanied by Foreign Minister Nicos Rolan-dis, who met with his Italian counterpart Εmilio Colombo.145 In December 1983 Ital-ian Foreign Minister Giulio Andreotti met with Cyprus’ Foreign Minister GeorgeIacovou in Rome.146

The first visit President Vassiliou paid to Rome was in November 1988 whenhe met with the Italian President Francesco Cossiga and Prime Minister Ciriaco deMita.147 They discussed bilateral issues, as well as the role that the EEC could playin solving the Cyprus problem.148 In June 1991 President Vassiliou met PrimeMinister Andreotti during a one day working visit.149 Giulio Andreotti’s visit toCyprus as Prime Minister in April 1990 was a watershed for Cyprus-Italian rela-tions. Andreotti, a top personality in post-war Italian affairs, was the first ItalianPrime Minister to visit the island. He was received by President Vassiliou,150 whobestowed on him the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, while in his turnthe Italian Prime Minister awarded President Vassiliou the Grand Cross of the Orderof Merit of the Italian Republic.151 The Italian Prime Minister was also presentedwith the Golden Key of the town, by the Nicosia Municipality.152

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141 P.I.O., Press Release no. 2320, Nicosia 10 September 1981.142 P.I.O., Press Release no. 9, Nicosia 5 March 1982.143 P.I.O., Press Release no. 5, Nicosia 2 July 1982.144 P.I.O., Press Release no. 13, Nicosia 23 May 1983.145 P.I.O., Press Release no. 13, Nicosia 23 May 1983.146 P.I.O., Press Release no. 11, Nicosia 21 December 1983.147 P.I.O., Press Release no. 1, Nicosia 10 November 1988.148 P.I.O., Press Release no. 13, Nicosia 10 November 1988.149 P.I.O., Press Release no. 4, Nicosia 20 June 1991.150 P.I.O., Press Release no. 1, Nicosia 29 March 1990.151 P.I.O., Press Release no. 3, Nicosia 3 April 1990.152 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 3 April 1990.


President Glafkos Clerides visited Rome in November 1996 and met ItalianPresident Oscar Luigi Scalfaro.153 Italy’s Foreign Minister Susanna Angeli paid aone-day visit to Cyprus in July 1995 at the invitation of her Cypriot counterpartAlecos Michaelides.154 She was also received by President Glafkos Clerides.155 For-eign Minister Alecos Michaelides visited Rome in March 1997 and met with hiscounterpart Lamberto Dini.156 In September 1997 Foreign Minister Dini receivedhis Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides, who also met with Prime MinisterRomano Prodi.157 I. Kasoulides paid another visit to Italy in May 2000 and met withhis counterpart L. Dini158 and the President of the Italian Chamber of DeputiesLuciano Violante.159 President Violante, in turn, paid a one-day visit to Cyprus inOctober 1999 and was received by President Glafkos Clerides.160 In July 2002 theCypriot President received the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, PierFerdinando Casini.161

On the occasion of his visit to Rome in December 2003, President TassosPapadopoulos, met with the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, with whomhe discussed issues relating to the Intergovernmental Conference.162 PresidentPapadopoulos paid a three-day visit to Rome in November 2004 at the invitationof the Italian government,163 during which he again met with Prime Minister Berlus-coni, with whom he discussed bilateral issues and issues regarding European affairs.164

He also met with Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the President of the Sen-ate, Marcello Pera and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Pier Ferdinando

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153 P.I.O., Press Release no. 1, Nicosia 16 November 1996.154 P.I.O., Press Release no. 4, Nicosia 6 July 1995.155 P.I.O., Press Release no. 1, Nicosia 6 July 1995.156 P.I.O., Press Release no. 18, Nicosia 7 March 1997. 157 P.I.O., Press Release no. 6, Nicosia 29 August 1997. 158 P.I.O., Press Release no. 5, Nicosia 9 May 2000.159 P.I.O., Press Release no. 4, Nicosia 10 May 2000.160 P.I.O., Press Release no. 9, Nicosia 25 October 1999.161 P.I.O., Press Release no. 20, Nicosia 8 July 2002.162 P.I.O., Press Release no. 2, Nicosia 1 December 2003.163 P.I.O., Press Release no. 3, Nicosia 17 November 2004.164 P.I.O., Press Release no. 25, Nicosia 18 November 2004.


Casini. At a special ceremony President Papadopoulos awarded the President of theForeign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies the medal of GrandCommander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Cyprus. Foreign MinisterGeorge Iacovou also visited Rome in July 2004, where he met his Italian counterpartFranco Frattini.165 Italy’s Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, visited Cyprus inJune 2005 and had talks with his counterpart George Iacovou.166 Foreign MinisterYiorgos Lillikas paid a two-day visit to Rome at the invitation of his Italiancounterpart, Massimo d’Alema, in March 2007.167

President Christofias paid a two-day visit to Rome in September 2009 at theinvitation of the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.168 He had talks with both hiscounterpart and Prime Minister Berlusconi.169 The latter said that he would continuehis efforts for a solution mutually acceptable to both communities, and matters ofmutual interest were also discussed.170 President Christofias then visited Perugia andwas awarded an honorary doctorate from the university of the city.171 Cyprus’Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou visited Rome that same year, meeting hisItalian counterpart Franco Frattini.172 Markos Kyprianou also visited Italy in June2011 representing Cyprus at the 150-year celebrations of the country’s unification.173

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis concluded a workingvisit to Rome in March 2012, having attended a working lunch hosted in herhonour by her Italian counterpart Giulio Terzi.174 The bilateral cooperation betweenCyprus and Italy, as well as issues of international interest and relative to the CyprusPresidency of the Council of the EU were discussed, reaffirming the friendlyrelations and similar positions between the two sides as Mediterranean partners.

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165 P.I.O., Press Release no. 8, Nicosia 19 July 2004.166 P.I.O., Press Release no. 2, Nicosia 6 June 2005.167 P.I.O., Press Release no. 18, Nicosia 23 March 2007.168 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 8 September 2009.169 Ibid.170 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 9 September 2009.171 Ibid.172 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 22 October 2009.173 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 1 June 2011.174 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 13 March 2012.


The establishment of the Cyprus-Italy Friendship Group in the Italian Chamberof Deputies chaired by deputy Enrico Cavaliere was a significant event thatcontributed to the growth in relations between the two countries.175 A delegationfrom the Joint Cyprus-Italy Friendship Group paid an official visit to Cyprus on 5November 2009 and had separate meetings with President Christofias, the Presidentof the House of Representatives and the Foreign Minister.176

These visits are indicative of the excellent political cooperation between the twocountries, while agreements in all areas strengthen relations at bilateral, Europeanand international levels. Since the Association Agreement was signed between Cyprusand the EEC, of which Italy is a founding member, the two countries have widenedthe prospects for consolidating peace and stability in the Mediterranean; it isworth noting that Italy is now one of Cyprus’ major economic partners. Italy alsostrongly supported Cyprus’European accession process, until Cyprus became a fullmember of the European Union, in 2004. Italy has also consistently supported theindependence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the island. The mutual desireexists between the two countries to expand and enhance their cooperation and topromote democracy, safeguard human rights and preserve the cultural heritage ofEurope.

Italians in UNFICYP Italian commitment to peace in the Mediterranean has positively affected Cyprus,through the participation of Italian UNFICYP177 peacekeepers in the civilianpolice force of UNCIVPOL.178

The first Italian peacekeepers arrived in Cyprus in August 2005. They werewelcomed at an official ceremony on 31 August in the presence of the Italian Chargéd’affaires Pierluigi Trombetta.179 Since that day Italy has regularly four peacekeepersin UNPOL, deployed generally for 12-month periods and charged with keepingthe peace along the cease-fire line, as well as providing assistance in civil cases.180

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175 P.I.O., Press Release no. 4, Nicosia 9 January 1996.176 P.I.O., Press Release, Nicosia 4 November 2009.177 UNFICYP : United Nations Force in Cyprus.178 UNPOL: United Nations Police.179 The Blue Beret, Nicosia September 2005, p. 10.180 Ibid., February-March 2010, p. 5.


It is worth noting that one unfortunate incident in July 2010 had a happy endingthanks to the heroic intervention of Italian officer Domenico Pastore, who, whileoff duty with his family at the beach in Pyla, risked his life to save a thirty fiveyear old Cypriot from drowning.181 All four Italian members of UNPOL wereawarded the peace-keeping medal in 2008.182

Cyprus and Italy in literature: from Latium to the 21st century

a. Cyprus in Latin LiteratureLatin writers were inspired by the mythical world of Cyprus; the island was asso-ciated with Trojan heroes, mythical founders of Cypriot cities, as well as the worshipof Aphrodite Cypris, who, according to Roman mythology, was the goddess fromwhom Iulus, mythical ancestor of Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus, wasdescended.

In Virgil’s epic work Aeneid we see Teucer, founder of Salamis, arriving in Sidonto ask for the help of Vilos, Dido’s father.183 Teucer’s fate also inspired Horace inhis work, Carmina.184 Yet another mythical king of Cyprus, Kinyras, can be foundin the Hyginus’ mythological treatise, Fabulae,185 as well as in the famous ency-clopedia, Naturalis Historia186 of Pliny the Elder.187 Songs about Aphrodite Cypriswere written inter alia by Virgil,188 Horace,189 Martial190 and Ovid,191 who also madefrequent references to the religious centres of Paphos, Amathus and Idalion. It isalso noteworthy that Cyprus was also mentioned in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.192 The

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181 Ibid.182 Ibid., October-November 2008, p. 19.183 Χατζηιωάννου, vol. IV-part 1, p. 285-287.184 Ibid., p. 285.185 Ibid., p. 284-285.186 Ibid., p. 284.187 Pliny refers many times to Cyprus in his multi-volume encyclopedia Νaturalis Historia, seeΠαυλίδης, vol. I, op. cit., p. 32-37.188 Χατζηιωάννου, vol. IV-part 1, op. cit., p. 318-319.189 Ibid., p. 306, 317-319.190 Ibid., p. 318-319.191 Ibid., p. 319. 192 Γεώργιος Χατζηκωστής, “Οβίδιος”(“Ovid”), Μεγάλη Κυπριακή Εγκυκλοπαίδεια (Great CyprusEncyclopedia), vol. X, Nicosia 1989, p. 301-302.


story of Iphis, a handsome young man from Salamis, stands out amongst the manyreferences to the island; Iphis feels unrequited love for the cold Anexarete, from theTeucrid family, leading him to commit suicide. Aphrodite visits an exemplarypunishment on the hard-hearted woman, turning her into stone.

b. Cyprus in Renaissance literatureIn the Middle Ages, Cyprus was part of the world of knights and noblemen. The factthat it was a Venetian and Genoese colony, and that many Italian travellers wroteabout it, made the island widely known in the West, as testified by its presence inthe work of the great poets of the Italian Renaissance, Dante (1265-1321), Boccaccio(1313-1375) and Petrarch (1304-1374).

References to Cyprus can be found in Dante’s masterpiece, La Divina Commedia(Divine Comedy).193 The first such mention, a geographical reference, occurs inthe 28th canto of “Inferno”; the second, in the 30th canto, deals with the story ofMyrrha, the daughter of King Kinyras, who according to tradition, committed incestwith her father, ending up in Dante’s hell. Three more references are in “Purgato-rio”, while the most important is in the 19th canto of “Paradiso”. This is in connec-tion with Dante’s contemporary, Henry II, King of Cyprus, who is presented as ahard ruler:

Thereof, do Nicosia and FamagustaLament and rage because of their own beast194

Boccaccio has many references to Cyprus in his Decameron, depicting thecontemporary image of the island, its commerce, nature, wealth and relations withother countries, especially with Italy.195

References to Cyprus also occur frequently in Petrarch.196 In Triumphi, thebeauty of the landscape makes the island an ideal destination for lovers, who the

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193 Id., “Δάντης” (“Dante”), ibid., vol. IV, Nicosia 1986, p. 186-188.194 Δάντης, Η Θεία Κωμωδία (Divine Comedy), trans. Ν. Καζαντζάκης, Athens 1992 (1st edn1962), p. 433.195 Γεώργιος Χατζηκωστής, “Η Κύπρος στοΔεκαήμερο του Βοκκακίου” (“Cyprus in Boccaccio’sDecameron”), Πνευματική Κύπρος (Pnevmatiki Kypros), no. 173, Nicosia February 1975, p. 129.196 Id., “Πετράρχης” (“Petrarch”), Μεγάλη Κυπριακή Εγκυκλοπαίδεια (Great Cyprus Encyclopedia),vol. XI, Nicosia 1989, p. 296-297.


winged Cupid carries chained to Cyprus. In contrast, the Itinerarium depicts the sen-suality of the inhabitants. Finally, in his most popular work, Canzoniere, Cyprus isfound in the 280th poem linked to Eros.

As regards the Renaissance period, special mention must be made to the Cypri-ot love poems of the 16th century, which are “the first Renaissance examples of Greeklyric poetry, creatively stemming from Italian Renaissance literature and especial-ly from Petrarch”.197 The Cypriot “rhymes of love”198 include 156 poems writtenin the Cypriot dialect,199 containing the direct transfer of entire verses or poems fromboth Petrarch and other Italian poets of his tradition.200 The Cypriot version ofLaura201 can be seen in the idealised form of Chrystalleni, in a work which consti-tutes “the truest evidence of the creative cultural relations between Venice and cul-tural Cyprus”.202

Petrarchism, stemming from the Venetian presence on the island, as well as thereferences to Cyprus by Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, are indicative of strongcross-cultural exchanges between Cyprus and Italy during this period.

c. Othello – the Moor of VeniceShakespeare’s famous work is set in the last days of Venetian rule of Cyprus, alreadyunder the threat of Ottoman conquest. The source for Othello was the story by Cinthio

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197 Μιχάλης Πιερής, “Λογοτεχνία και λογοτεχνικότητα κατά το πέρασμα της Κύπρου από τονΜεσαίωνα στην Αναγέννηση”(“Literature and literariness in Cyprus during the Middle Ages andthe Renaissance”), in Νικολάου Κονναρή (ed.), op. cit., p. 120.198 The manuscript which is a copy of the original was discovered in the Marcian Library of Veniceanonymous and without a title. The title Rhymes of love was given to various collections of Petrar-chist poets called Rime d’amore. For more information on the influence of Petrarch on the lit-erature of Cyprus see Θέμις Σιαπκαρά-Πιτσιλλίδου, Ο Πετραρχισμός στην Κύπρο. Ρίμες αγάπης,από χειρόγραφο του 16ου αιώνα, με μεταφορά στην κοινή μας γλώσσα (Petrarchism in Cyprus.Rhymes of love, from a 16th century manuscript, translated into modern Greek), Athens 1976.199 Θέμις Σιαπκαρά-Πιτσιλλίδου, “Κύπρος και Ρίμες αγάπης” (“Cyprus and Rhymes of love”),Πνευματική Κύπρος (Pnevmatiki Kypros), nos 325-326, Nicosia January-February 1988, p. 4.200 Ibid., p. 17.201 Laura: Petrarch’s muse. The whole of the Canzoniere is dedicated to her.202 Πιερής, op. cit., p. 135.


Giraldi “Il moro di Venezia”, included in his book Gli Hecatommithi (1565),which also refers to the tragic story of Othello and Desdemona in Cyprus. Shake-speare adds the threat of Ottoman occupation of Cyprus to Giraldi’s story. It seemshe got his information regarding these events from Richard Knolles’ book GeneralHistorie of the Turkes(1603),203 from which he got many of his facts regarding theconflict between Venice and Turkey.204 Othello, who was sent to Cyprus by the Dukeof Venice, has by tradition been linked to the Venetian general Cristoforo Moro.205

The medieval fortress of Famagusta is still called “Othello’s Tower” today, whileShakespeare’s tragedy managed to put Cyprus’ relations with Venice in the globalliterary pantheon.

d. The Cyprus of Gabriele D’Annunzio Gabriele D’Αnnunzio (1863-1938), an important Italian man of letters, devotedmany pages of his writings to Cyprus. He was particularly influenced by his read-ings of the Cypriot medieval chroniclers, Florio Bustron and Leontios Macheras.206

Bustron’s influence is evident in his drama Francesca de Rimini (1901).207 He isinfluenced even more by the Chronicle of Macheras208 and by the popular song“Αροδαφνούσα” (“Arodafnousa”) in his work Canzone dei Dardanelli (Song of theDardanelles) and La Rosa di Cipro (The Rose of Cyprus209), which was later composed

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203 Virginia Mason Vaughan, “Supersubtle Venetians: Richard Knolles and the geopoliticsof Shakespeare’s Othello”, in Laura Tosi/Shaul Bassi(eds), Visions of Venice in Shakespeare,Farnham/Burlington 2011, p. 21.204 Ibid., p. 26.205 Cristoforo Moro served as governor in Cyprus between 1505-1507. It seems he became attachedto the negro hero, Othello, because of his surname which means ‘black’ as well as ‘moor’.206 Γεώργιος Χατζηκωστής, “Ο Gabriele D’Annunzio και η Κύπρος” (“Gabriele D’Annunzioand Cyprus”, Πνευματική Κύπρος (Pnevmatiki Kypros), no. 305, Nicosia May-August 2000,p. 114-115.207 Ibid., p. 113-114.208 See the relevant article by Bruno Lavagnini, “Μια κυπριακή τραγωδία του G. D’Annunzio.Το Χρονικό του Μαχαιρά ως έμπνευση” (“A Cypriot tragedy of G. D’Annunzio. Machaira’sChronicle as inspiration”), trans. Γ. Χατζηκωστής, Πνευματική Κύπρος (Pnevmatiki Kypros),no. 395, Nicosia May-August 2000, p. 117-125.209 Gabriele D’Annunzio, “To Ρόδο της Κύπρου” (“The Rose of Cyprus”), trans. Γ. Χατζηκωστής,Πνευματική Κύπρος (Pnevmatiki Kypros), no. 396, Nicosia September-December 2000,p. 196-204.


under the title La Pisanelle (La Pisanella). This historic drama is set in Frankish Cyprusand the tragic fate of the girl from Pisa is the same as that of Arodafnousa:

QUEEN: And what is your real name, Pisanella?PISANELLA: Madame, they call me Arodafnousa in the island of Cyprus.210

Finally, in his poem “Le carubbe” (“The carobs”), a ship sets sail from Cyprusfor Sardinia, carrying a cargo of Cypriot carobs, as well as a little bit of “sweetness”from the island of Aphrodite:

Surely in the sweetness of the Cilician SeaYou can find the lost song again That Cypris in Amathus loved. September, if we could be together wherever that may be!211

e. Italian writers on the EOKA struggleThe struggle carried out by ΕΟΚΑ212 against the British colonial authorities didnot go unnoticed amongst intellectual circles in Italy, who supported the Cypriots’attempt to be liberated from the British rule.

The magazine Ιl tempo presente of Ιgnatio Silone, an important publication ofthe Italian intelligentsia of the time, took a clear stand in favour of the Cypriots.213

The famous Italian writer Curzio Malaparte wrote in the magazine about the Cyprusissue: “The news arriving from Cyprus is such that they would make any honestman blush with shame”.214 Malaparte was particularly moved by the suffering ofCyprus and was the nucleus of the “National revolutionary committee to assist theCypriot struggle”, whose formation he announced in the press.215

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210 Id., Η Πιζανέλλα (Pisanella), trans. Γ. Χατζηκωστής, Nicosia 2001, p. 183.211 Id., “Τα χαρούπια” (“The carobs”), trans. Γ. Χατζηκωστής, Πνευματική Κύπρος (PnevmatikiKypros), nos 325-326, Nicosia January-February 1988, p. 19.212 ΕΟΚΑ (in Greek: Εθνική Οργάνωση Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών): National Organisation ofCypriot Fighters.213 Μαργαρίτα Δαλμάτη, “Οι Ιταλοί στον αγώνα των Κυπρίων”(“Italians in Cyprus’ struggle”),Πνευματική Κύπρος (Pnevmatiki Kypros), no. 235-236, Nicosia April-May 1980, p. 132.214 Ead., “Cruzio Malaparte” (“Cruzio Malaparte”), Νέα Εστία (Nea Estia), no. 722, Athens 1August 1957, p. 1091.215 Ibid.


Another warm supporter of the Cypriot struggle was Italian poet Mario Luzi,who holds an important place in 20th century Italian literature. The Italian magazineResine recently published a series of unpublished letters from Margarita Dalmatito Luzi, which show the latter’s interest in Cyprus and his efforts to help theCypriot struggle to succeed. His poem “A Niki Z.216 e alla sua patria” (“To Niki Z.and her country”), which was written in 1956 and included in his collection Onoredel Vero (1957), is dedicated to the struggle of Cyprus.217

Both the silence and roar of a people struggling opens the way for you218

Luzi’s involvement in Cyprus issues can also be seen in his correspondencewith important figures of the Cypriot political scene, including the ArchbishopMakarios himself. Dalmati wrote to Luzi on 24 October 1957: “I have a letter foryou from Archbishop Makarios which I will bring to Florence for you. He is a won-derful man, Nestor,219 and he is your age!”.220 Luzi also had warm relations withthe Cypriot poet and diplomat Nicos Kranidiotis, as can be seen from Dalmati’sletter dated 19 January 1957: “Nicos Kranidiotis is currently under house arrest athis home in Nicosia. He will write to you to thank you. He was very moved and isvery grateful to you”.221 After the failure of the Harding-Makarios talks and thelatter’s exile to the Seychelles in 1956, Kranidiotis, who was a close associate ofMakarios, was persecuted for his activities by the British and was imprisoned (1956-57). Luzi tried to have him freed, which was why the Cypriot poet was so gratefulto him. Together with other accomplished figures of the Italian letters, Luzi contributedto a telegram222 for the release of Kranidiotis to be sent to the British House of

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216 The dedication to Niki Z. refers to Margarita Dalmati, the nom de plume of writer MariaNiki Zorogiannidi Dalmati, who worked as secretary to Archbishop Makarios, worked hard toinfluence world public opinion on the Cyprus problem and was a good friend of Luzi.217 The poem is accompanied by the following note by the poet: “It concerns the hard strugglethat Cyprus is waging”, see Mario Luzi, “Α Niki Z. e alla sua patria”, Onore del vero, in Tuttele poesie, Milan 31993 (1st edn 1988), p. 251.218 Mario Luzi, “Στη Νίκη Ζ. και στην πατρίδα της” (“To Niki Ζ. and her country”), trans.Μ. Δαλμάτη, Νέα Εστία (Nea Estia), no. 724, Athens 1 September 1957, p. 1233. 219 Nestore: This is how Dalmati called Luzi in their correspondence. She signs off as “Nausica”. 220 Stefano Verdino, “Margherita Dalmati. Lettere per l’independenza di Cipro (dalla corispon-denza con Mario Luzi)”, Resine. Quaderni liguri di cultura, no. 122, Savona 2009, p. 29.221 Ibid., p. 24.222 Έθνος (Ethnos), Larnaca 11 October 1956.


Commons, the House of Lords, the Secretary General of the United Nations, aswell as the Italian Senate and Chamber of Deputies.223 Apart from Luzi, thetelegram was signed by Silone, Malaparte, future Nobel winners Eugenio Montale(1975) and Salvatore Quasimodo (1959), as well as Giuseppe Ungaretti, GiovanniBattista Angioletti, Diego Valeri, Anna Banti and Ardengo Soffici.224 Dalmati alsomentions Alvaro Corrado, Leone Traverso, Cristina Campo and AlbertoMoravia.225 Moreover, from Dalmati’s letter of 10 June 1957226 to Luzi one can seethat the latter had intended to organize an international appeal to writers, to protestagainst the death sentences imposed by the British on Cypriot fighters,showing onceagain his interest in Cyprus and its struggle.

Cyprus and Italy have a long tradition of good relations and cultural links.Their common Euro-Mediterranean perspective continuously strengthens the tiesbetween them on a bilateral, European and international level. A stop on line A ofthe Rome subway system near the Vatican Museum has, since 1999, been named“Cipro” (Cyprus) in an area where streets have been named after people and placesfrom the history of past Italian thalassocracies. On the way out of the station, onecan see Cyprus Street leading off from Marcantonio Bragadin227 Street. Streetnames are not confined to actual space and time but trace past stories, whichdisappear into the ages and extend to the future.

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223 Δαλμάτη, “Οι Ιταλοί στον αγώνα των Κυπρίων”(“Italians in cypriot strruggle”), op. cit., p. 133.224 Έθνος (Ethnos), op.cit.225 Δαλμάτη, “Οι Ιταλοί στον αγώνα των Κυπρίων”(“Italians in cypriot strruggle”), op. cit., p.133.226 See Verdino, op. cit., p.28.227 Marcantonio Bragadin: Venetian officer in charge of the defemce of Famagusta in Cyprus,which he defended heroically against the Ottoman siege. He was tortured and executed in 1571by the Turks.


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Famagusta Gate in Nicosia, the starting point on the road to the city of Famagusta.Built in the 16th century, it is the most important gate of Nicosia’s Venetian Walls.

Photo Archive, Press and Information Office.


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The Greek School of Venice,known as Flanginian School(Flagginiano Frontistirio), a donation by Cypriot-Corfulawyer Thomas Avlonitis-Flanginis, and Saint George’s Church of the Greeks in Venice, thedome of which was painted by the Cypriot painter John,from a 1702 copper plate.

The decree by which the Kingdom of Italy was established. Until the 17th

of March 1861, the first kingof Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II,bore the honorific title “Kingof Sardenia, Cyprus andJerusalem”.Statuto Fondamentale del Regno in data 4 marzo 1848, corredato di Lettere Patenti, Decreti, Proclami, Plebisciti con intestazione degli atti di governo e formola per promulgazione delleleggi, Stamperia della Gazzetta delPopolo, Torino 1884, p. 27.


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A group of Cypriots in Italy during World War II.Photo Nikos Panayiotou (ed.), Η συμμετοχή της Κύπρου στο Β’ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο / The participation of Cyprus in World War II, Nicosia 1985, p. 50.

The Cypriot World War II veteran Antonis Br. Hadjiosif posing with his war decorations. He was a prisoner of war in Italy and after his escape, he was given shelter by Italianfamilies.

Photo Aντώνης Βρ. Χατζηιωσήφ, Εμπειρίες και αναμνήσεις του Β’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου (Experiencesand memories of World War II), Nicosia 1993.


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The Italian literary figure Gabriele d’Annunzio dedicated many pages of his work to Cyprus. His historicaldrama La Pisanella stands out, bearing influences by the Chronicleof the Cypriot medieval author Leontios Machairas and the Cypriotfolk song of “Arodafnousa”.

Italian peacekeepers in Cyprus celebrate the 192nd

anniversary since the formation of the “Arma dei Carabinieri” corps.

Photo The Blue Beret, Nicosia June 2006,p. 13

The Italian author Mario Luzi was one of Italy’s intellectuals who supported the national liberation struggle of Cyprusduring 1955-1959.


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The President of Cyprus George Vassiliou bestows the highest distinction of the Republic of Cyprus on the Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. Nicosia, April 1990.


Glafkos Clerides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, and Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Presi-dent of the Italian Republic. Rome, November 1996.



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The President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias with the Italian PrimeMinister Silvio Berlusconi. Rome, September 2009.


The President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias with the Italian PresidentGiorgio Napolitano during his official visit to Rome in September 2009.



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Italy-Cyprus: Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra storia