In Curtatone, a small town in northern Italy, the bicentenary celebration included many musical performances. Among the guests present at the event was the town's mayor, who offered several remarks to open the commemoration.
Italy
Stories of Celebrations
From Rome to the small villages lining the countryside of Italy, hundreds gathered at numerous celebrations across the country to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh. These gatherings captured the rich culture of the country and were infused with music and dance.
Northern Italy hosts bicentenary celebrations
The small Bahá’í community in the city of Lecco was joined by some 200 people for a celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
Friends in Portici in Southern Italy holding one of the banners that were put around town announcing the bicentenary celebrations
Curtatone, Italy
Lullaby
A lullaby composed for the occasion of the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh. The words were inspired by a story about a dream that Bahá’u’lláh’s father had, in which Bahá’u’lláh was surrounded by fish, swimming in the sea.
Wood carving
A well-known artist in the town of Castel d’Ario, Italy, sculpted a wooden board made of images connected to the theme of unity in diversity and to the life of Bahá'u'lláh. The townspeople were invited to paint the board in a public space where they could also learn about the bicentenary celebrations. The final work of art, exhibited near the local government house, is the outcome of a collective endeavour and symbolises the principle of unity in diversity.
Celebrations in Rome
At the Bicentenary celebration in Rome, guests enjoyed an exposition of painted glass pieces featuring significant moments in the life of Bahá’u’lláh. Music, inspired by the theme “unity in diversity,” was sung in different languages that reflected the diversity of the friends present at the event.