Italian is often associated with literature, art and history. This year’s Italian Language Week in the World will also focus on the language as a tool for shaping ideas, developing projects and creating new work.
The theme of the XXVI edition, “A Brilliant Language: Inventing, Designing and Creating in Italian,” highlights the role of Italian in expressing the country’s saper fare, its distinctive capacity for making and doing. The initiative will consider how that tradition reaches beyond the arts, into fields such as science, engineering, technology, design, fashion and food.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes the theme as a way to draw attention to the connection between culture and economic growth, and to the role of Italian and the wider Italian-speaking world in projecting a dynamic image of Italy internationally. The Week will run from October 19 to 25, 2026.
A launch at the Farnesina
The Week’s launch event is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Sala Conferenze Internazionali at the Farnesina, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Among the speakers will be Andrea Riccardi, president of the Società Dante Alighieri; astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti; and Olympic champion Arianna Fontana. Their participation reflects the event’s broad view of Italian: a language used in cultural institutions, scientific and technological work, and the international world of sport.
The annual initiative is organized through Italy’s diplomatic and consular network and Italian Cultural Institutes, in partnership with organizations including the Accademia della Crusca, the Società Dante Alighieri and RAI Italia. Established in 2001, it has become a major international showcase for the Italian language.
Three fields, one language
After the institutional session, the launch program will continue with three panels. The first, “Inventing in Italian: The Language of Science, Sport and Innovation,” will consider how Italian supports discovery and innovation, as well as communication across technical and professional fields.
The second, “Designing in Italian: The Language of Design, Fashion and Food,” turns to areas where Italian expertise is recognized around the world. Design, fashion and cuisine each combine practical knowledge with a strong sense of identity, and language helps articulate the ideas and choices behind the finished work.
The final panel, “Creating in Italian: The Language of Art, Music and Literature,” will focus on creative expression. Together, the three discussions place Italian in a range of settings, from research and sporting achievement to products, cultural works and everyday practices.
Language as a resource for growth
The theme invites a wider understanding of what it means to promote a language abroad. Italian can carry cultural memory, but it can also help people communicate expertise, develop ideas and describe the value of a project. In this sense, the Week connects the language’s historical legacy with contemporary work and enterprise.
The launch at the Farnesina will introduce that perspective ahead of a week of events around the world. Its central question is not simply where Italian is spoken, but what people can think, make and share through it.
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