Posted on 30 July 2018
French ambassador to Italy, Christian Masset, visited the Historical Archives of the European Union on 6 July 2018, accompanied by his political adviser, Jonathan Cordier, his cultural adviser Christophe Musitelli, as well as, Honorary Consul to France in Florence and Director of the French Institute, Isabelle Mallez.
H.E. Masset was visiting the European University Institute to learn more about its activities and to meet with its President, Renaud Dehousse, and its Secretary General, Vincenzo Grassi. He also had the opportunity to meet with the French community of the EUI.
At the Archives, Director Dieter Schlenker presented H.E. Masset with a series of key documents pertaining to the history of the EUI, such as photos from its inauguration ceremony and documents from the first meeting of the EUI High Council.
Additionally, he was shown documents illustrating France’s role in European integration history, such as a copy of the Schuman Plan from 1950 and papers from the Alcide De Gasperi fond about the Paris Peace Conference in 1946. Finally, the documents also featured prominent Frenchmen who played a vital role in European integration, such as Commission Presidents François-Xavier Ortoli and Jacques Delors, and the Delors cabinet member François Lamoureux.
The visit ended with a tour through the repositories, where the HAEU stores the memory of European integration, and then the grounds of Villa Salviati, its gardens and grotto.