A celebration of Scottish Heritage at the Ambassador’s Roman Residence
Photos: courtesy of UkInItaly & Francesca Basili
On the 25th of January, Scotland celebrates the life and work of Robert Burns (1759-1796), one of Scotland's most loved poets. A man whose lyrics tell the story of Scotland as no one else ever has.
Once again I crossed the sublime threshold of Villa Wolkonsky, the Roman residence of the British Ambassador to Italy, Sir Edward Llewellyn, this time to actively contribute to an exquisite Scottish feast! Here the British Embassy celebrated this day in the most traditional way.
The Ambassador and the Deputy Ambassador, David Burton, treated their guests to a quintessentially Scottish experience: the haggis was toasted, the pipers piped, the whisky was (copiously) poured and the people danced to traditional notes. The guests were greeted by the traditional sound of bagpipes from the City of Rome Pipe Band, which accompanied the entire evening.
Quintessentially Scottish.
The iconic portrait of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, painted by Pietro Annigoni, the large antique tapestries that decorate the walls of the great hall, the shining marbles of the reception rooms were this time beautifully combined with the St Andrew's Cross of hundreds of Scottish flags. The echo of the bagpipes reached every corner of the residence's halls and here and there wonderful kilts stood out, worn for the occasion by guests proud of their Scottish roots. The dress code on the invitation stated ‘tartan welcome’, and tartan was indeed the undisputed star of the guests‘ and press’ interest, as a global emblem of true Made in Scotland and silent guardian of detailed stories woven into its threads. The Ambassador himself wore the iconic Stewart tartan for the occasion, of royal descent, inherited from his Scottish grandmother.
Araminta Campbell’s textiles exhibition, in the ‘Pink Room’
Araminta Campbell’s first Roman debut.
As a result of an extraordinary synergy with the Embassy team, it was a joy to formally introduce the excellent work of Araminta Campbell to the Embassy, the Ambassador and the entire entourage; in the exquisite setting of the ‘Pink Room’, we displayed a wide selection of textile masterpieces, along with a few tools of the trade: from the one-off pieces of the precious Signature collection, to the limited edition hand-woven tartans. As the evening went by, between one glass of whiskey and another, we had the pleasure of telling guests and journalists the fascinating stories behind each design and the intriguing process of Scottish hand-weaving.
Founded by Araminta Birse-Stewart, an exceptional woman and talented textile artist [with whom I am by now bonded by a sincere friendship] in 2016, Araminta Campbell is a brand rooted in the rich landscapes and most authentic cultural traditions of Scotland. Growing up among the riverbanks and heather-covered hills of Royal Deeside, Araminta has always found inspiration in her surroundings and turned to weaving as a way to capture the Beauty of her Scotland through threads. Perhaps one of the most admirable aspects of her work has always been the application of sustainability to every facet of design & production, including the social and cultural sides of it. Araminta is in fact the largest employer of Scottish hand-weavers in UK, increasingly rare and precious artisans who preserve an invaluable centuries-old weaving technique.
The New Balmoral Hunting Tartan by Araminta Campbell
It was a true honour and responsibility for me to officially present the new Hunting Tartan to the Ambassy’ team and their guests on this special occasion, designed by Araminta Campbell for Balmoral Castle & Estate at the request of His Majesty King Charles III and launched the last July the 1st at the Balmoral Castle & Estate in Ballater.
The rich scenery and the unique heritage of the Balmoral Castle are reflected in the colour palette and design of the tartan. The pattern has also been integrated with numerical references associated with the history of Balmoral and His Majesty. The colour palette was initially achieved through the ancient technique of natural plant dyeing, a skill that Araminta has been experimenting with for over 20 years.
An ode to the Highlands through threads
Four grey checks recall the majestic clock tower of Balmoral Castle, while the vibrant hues of the changing seasons of the Cairngorms dance on the fabric: a palette inspired by the very hand of nature that envelops the Estate, enriched by Araminta's interpretation. I myself have seen Araminta wandering through those forests and stopping every now and then to study a lichen, a leaf, a flower, investigating their chromatic shades and beautifully natural shapes. To create this tartan [woven in cashmere, lambswool and wool], the Balmoral Estate collaborated with some of Scotland's most esteemed craft manufacturers, selected for their dedication to quality and craftsmanship. By supporting rural weaving mills, the Estate contributes to the livelihood of local artisans and the preservation of skills handed down through generations. The new Balmoral Hunting tartan is therefore also a symbol of dedication to quality craftsmanship and a celebration of cultural heritage.
Beauty and Excellence are tools of knowledge.
Since the day I started working with Araminta Campbell, I have learnt so much about the symbolic significance of Scottish textiles, particularly the thousand stories that are woven into the tartan threads, if one knows how to read them! The colours, the symbolic count of the threads, the size of the checks... secrets I have learnt [and am still learning] from the best and cherish with pride. It is an honour for me to be a spokesperson for Araminta Campbell and other worldwide artisans who stand as custodians of such heritage on a global level; these are experiences that make me a better professional and a richer person every day.
My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.
Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,
The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands forever I'll love.
-Robert Burns, 1789
A ‘royal portrait’ with Pierluigi Puglia & Claudio Sinibaldi
Sláinte Mhath!
The evening was flavoured with the most authentic aromas and flavours of Scotland, and in particular its amazing Highlands [flavours that I admit I would never have expected to experience in the centre of Rome!]. Villa Wolkonsky has been transformed into a microcosm of Scottish culinary tradition; must have’s were the spirits, with traditional Scottish whisky from Fine Spritis [Dalmore 12, Jura 16, Lochlea ‘Ploughing Edition’, Kilchoman ‘Sanaig’ and Cù Bòcan 12], accompanied by Scottish gin from TekBar [Crafty Distillery – Hills & Harbour Gin, Arbikie distillery – Nàdar Gin, Electric spirits – Achroous Gin, North Uist Distillery – Dawnpour Gin and Lind and Lime Distillery – Lind and Lime Gin].
The traditional Haggis ceremony was followed by the opening of a buffet full of delicacies prepared by Dario Pizzetti and Alessio Fosci, chef and sous-chef of Villa Wolkonsky, who created a menu in honour of the celebrations. The haggis was accompanied by wild salmon, offered by Coln Valley Smokery, and roast beef and Scottish pie, supplied by Caledonia Crown. Followed the scones and the traditional Cranachan and Walkers crumble and sticky toffee pudding, a true feast for the eyes and the palate!
After dinner, the bagpipes were handed over to the Coughdrops trio to accompany the traditional ‘ceilidh’ – the typical dances of Scottish celebrations. Supporting the now numerous Scottish community at the Embassy were the members of the Rome Scottish Dancing Group, who got the guests up and dancing to Loch Ness Monster, Dashing White Sergeant, Strip The Willow and Gay Gordons.
The evening was organised in collaboration with Scottish Development International, a government agency that aims to increase investment and trade between Scotland and foreign markets.
