“I was not born in Rome like my father”, mentions of Don Quixote and María Zambrano

Emotion and history. Felipe VI has spoken in the Italian Parliament, an honor that has only been given to some heads of state. In his speech, the monarch began by saying a few words in Italian: “I was not born in Rome, like my father was… I was not born in Rome like my father” and continued: “Allow me a few words in the beautiful Italian language “.

Before the deputies and senators, Mr. Felipe highlighted “the privilege” that is granted “to very few foreign heads of state” to speak at the Montecitorio Palace “because Spain is like a brother country.” The head of state reflected on peace in the world and its fragility, “even when it is achieved.” “How necessary law and diplomacy are and will always be to advance on that endless path; and how much will, courage, generosity and high leadership we need to cooperate deeply and sincerely towards greater stability, cohesion and harmony in the world.” Mentioning the war in Ukraine and the spiral of violence in the Middle East, he said: “We strongly condemn the violence and terror in the region.”

With the pro-European figure of Mario Draghi of the Charles V European Prize, the monarch has made reference to the challenges of the Old Continent such as “security, climate crisis, energy transition, migration management; economic growth and industrial competitiveness.”

In economic matters, he has highlighted the commercial ties between both countries: “A relationship that continues to strengthen as a result of the complementarity of our economies and the interests we share. Our joint trade totals more than €60,000M. Our joint investment , almost €70,000M”.

The Spanish language has also been present in his intervention, as a sign of the enormous interest that the language arouses: “It is the 2nd mother tongue in the world and the 2nd most used on the Internet; and the door to the Ibero-American space, to that warp almost infinite social and cultural relations that the great Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes called “the territory of La Mancha”, evoking Cervantes and his most famous novel Don Quixote“. Following the path of letters, in his speech the King also mentioned María Zambrano, “one of the great voices of our thought, who in Rome lived, possibly, the eleven most fruitful years of his exile.” The sovereign He recalled that Zambrano lived “not far from here, in Piazza del Popolo and he went every morning, punctually, to write to his Gran Caffé Greco. ‘I felt at the center of life being in Italy,’ he once said. And how can we not feel that way, at the center of life, in this fascinating country, whose history is so rooted in our history, whose culture is so close to our hearts?”