Photo credit: Derek Parks
“Don’t worry. I’m forced to be short because a risotto is coming and it’s a priority today,” the newly credentialed Ambassador if Italy Armando Varricchio told a small group of luncheon guests gathered at Villa Firenze to celebrate the Urbino Press Award. “Simply to say that we’re very, very pleased to start these festivities that will go through the afternoon and then into the evening. We’re very fortunate to have here the first (Diane Rehm) and the current (Mark Mazzetti) honoree – the two awarded this great and renowned prize that has gained respect, has gained importance, thanks to the dedication of all those who are working throughout the year to create an event with a great, great Italian town like Urbino.”
Ambassador Armando Varricchio
“Urbino is in a very dynamic and beautiful region: Marche,” he added. “We are very fortunate to have here the president of the region today. Marche, in a way, epitomizes Italy because you have history, tradition, beauty, great landscape, beautiful food, great wine, but also you have innovation, technology, companies who are now able to be present throughout the world. Some of the most renowned brands come from Marche. I think that, in a nutshell, Marche is what Italy is all about. We’re very pleased we can have you here where you would have loved to have a drink outside, but today doesn’t allow that. Doesn’t matter. This is why also we chose a menu that is more winter-like, like Risotto ai funghi. That is winter. I think this is superior today.” Not to mention the Filetto aromatico alla mediterranea withVerdure di stagione and Bavarese con fragole accompanied by Chianti Classico and Recioto di Gambellara. We love ‘winter.’
Ambassador and Mrs.Varricchio with Diane Rehm and Mark Mazzetti
“This award is a very important recognition of your outstanding job as a journalist,” he said acknowledging this year’s winner Mark Mazzetti. “We all know how important journalism is nowadays. I think that we have to promote and support this. It’s not just a job. It’s a service given to the community. For us, you are doing tremendous job. You are very young. You have a great, great career in front of you. I’m sure this award will be an impressive award that will stand as a great memory of your link to Italy. I hope that we will enjoy this meal together.” Thank you, we did.
“My relationship to Italy is only as a visitor and a guest occasionally,” Mazzetti told Hollywood on the Potomac. “I don’t know why I was awarded it, but I’m grateful that they did. There’s a list of people who I consider friends, people who I admire who have won it in the past. It’s a nice list to be part of. The award appears to be based on just the work you’ve done over your career on any number of subjects. They’ve rewarded it to political reporters, national security reporters, investigative reporters. They just decide based on, it appears to be, an American journalist they think is worthy of it. I’m grateful.”
The Urbino Award Ceremony with past recipients:
