With a presence in more than 60 countries, the Dante Alighieri Society was founded in 1889 with the mission of promoting the country’s language and culture worldwide. Its Hong Kong branch was established in 1934 as a charitable institution, linking the city to the heart of Rome.
The organization is different from traditional language schools in that it emphasizes on connecting its students with Italian culture and businesses while teaching language skills. “Italy is a significant trading partner of Hong Kong, specializing in luxury goods, textiles and machinery. There are many professionals who are interested in doing business with Italian companies and may need to learn the language for communication purposes,” said Bruno Feltracco, President of the Dante Alighieri Society in Hong Kong.
To that end, the institution provides a range of customized language courses and interactive workshops. For example, it collaborated with the Italian Trade Commission last year on a series of Italian language courses that offered oenophiles and wine experts insights into the country’s wine culture. “Participants learned pronunciation, essential vocabulary and expressions about their favourite wines through fun games and activities,” Feltracco explained.
It also organizes various social events to disseminate Italian culture. Last year, the organization ventured into opera production with “Il Segreto di Susanna,” an intermezzo in one act by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, a famous concert piece that premiered in 1909.
“We had a great time working together with the Asia Society to bring this opera to Hong Kong for the first time,” said Feltracco. “After the success of the first edition, we are now planning more cultural activities, such as cooking classes led by top-award winning chefs.”
The institution is working to raise the profile of its brand in Hong Kong through a series of digital marketing campaigns, and is looking to establish collaborations with local partners to provide specialized workshops relevant to different sectors, such as fashion, design, food and beverage, etc.
“This is one of the reasons why we joined the HKGCC. We believe that our Chamber membership will bring new collaboration opportunities with local and international partners, and help us realize our business potential,” Feltracco said, adding that the team will continue to focus on quality services and customer satisfaction to maintain its reputation and attract new customers through word-of-mouth.
Company : Dante Alighieri Society Ltd
HKGCC Membership No. : HKD0820
Established : 1934
Website : https://ladante.cc/