The ‘Golden Thread’ between Italy and Myanmar: seven centuries of enduring bonds
A book edited by Nicolò Tassoni Estense, Italian ambassador to Myanmar, and Piero Masolo, a PIME missionary, traces the cultural exchanges between the two countries, from Marco Polo and technicians from Piedmont (Italy) to the first missionaries. The cooperation is today being renewed even in Yangon’s most underprivileged areas, where diplomatic staff and the New Humanity NGO handed out over 2,100 meals to local families on Italy’s Republic Day.
Yangon (AsiaNews) – The relationship between Italy and Myanmar spans more than seven centuries, with Marco Polo's travels, Barnabite and PIME missions, explorers from Piedmont and technicians from Italy called to the court of the kings of Ava, which a book titled Il filo d’oro, The Golden Thread, which seeks to recreate.
The ties between the two countries continue today thanks to the cooperation promoted by the Italian Embassy in Yangon together with New Humanity, an NGO linked to Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (PIME).
On Tuesday, the staff of Italy’s diplomatic mission in Yangon, with the logistical support of New Humanity, organised for the third consecutive year a large-scale distribution of meals for a vulnerable community located on the outskirts of the city.
Thanks to donations collected from embassy staff, more than 2,100 meals were given to families in need, such as “rice, chicken, vegetables, and condiments”, said Nicolò Tassoni Estense, head of mission at the Italian Embassy in Yangon and editor of Il filo d'oro, together with PIME missionary Piero Masolo, speaking to AsiaNews.
"We celebrate (Italy’s) Republic Day not only with the traditional diplomatic reception, but also by trying to give concrete form to the values of solidarity enshrined in the Italian constitution”, he added. “The embassy staff, both Italian and local, participated directly in the meal distribution, seeking to offer not only material assistance but also a smile and moments of human closeness.”
The diplomat said he was particularly struck this year by the large number of children present and the dignity with which the families awaited their turn.
"It's moving to see truly poor families waiting their turn with dignity, with composure and patience. For us, this initiative represents a moment of sharing that unites all the embassy staff and reflects a profound communion of Christian and Buddhist values, both connected to the idea of solidarity and giving."
This was also made possible thanks to New Humanity's local roots. “We are truly grateful to them because only thanks to the deep roots of their work alongside this community, the trust they have earned, and their ability to mobilise positive energy, is it possible to carry out such an initiative in a complex context like Myanmar.”
The meal distribution initiative and the book come at a particularly delicate time for Myanmar. As a result of the military coup in February 2021, the country has plunged into a civil war that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. Adding to this crisis, a devastating earthquake struck on 28 March 2025, making the humanitarian situation even worse.
Precisely for this reason, looking at the long history of relations between Italy and Myanmar means remembering that the bonds between the two peoples have survived wars, crises, and political transformations.
The stories united by this “golden thread” remind us that the relationship between Italy and Myanmar is not limited to cooperation in response to recent emergencies, but is also rooted in a much longer history.
The book begins in the 13th century with Marco Polo, considered the first European to have left records of what is now Myanmar.
In the following centuries, other travellers arrived from Italy, including Niccolò de' Conti, who contributed to the dissemination of the first geographical knowledge of the country in Europe.
The role of Catholic missionaries was particularly important. The book notes the work of the Barnabites in the 17th century, who introduced the Burmese language and culture to Europe. The Oblates of the Virgin Mary subsequently inherited this legacy, fostering one of the most surprising chapters in the diplomatic history between the two countries.
After Italian unification, the government led by Camillo Benso di Cavour sought to develop a privileged relationship with the Burmese kingdom in an effort to open new commercial and political prospects in Asia.
Another key chapter is dedicated to the PIME missionaries, who worked in the remotest regions crossed by the Salween River, in present-day Shan and Kayah states.
The missionaries engaged in educational and assistance activities for tribal populations in areas often hard to reach even by British colonial authorities, which later led to the creation of a series of dioceses.
In the 20th century, the figure of Salvatore Cioffi emerged; known as Lokanātha, he is one of the first Westerners to convert to Theravada Buddhism.
The book is part of a broader cultural project promoted by the Italian Embassy in Yangon. Last year, also on Republic Day, it hosted the exhibition 700 Years of Bonds: Unveiling the Journey of Italians in Myanmar, dedicated to Italian travellers, missionaries, diplomats, and technicians who lived and worked in the “Golden Land” over the centuries.
According to Tassoni Estense, recreating this mosaic of encounters allows us to understand how Italians and Burmese interacted for centuries "peacefully and enriching each other”, in a history very different from that marked by the colonial experience of other European powers in Asia.
The "golden thread” between the two countries continues today, even through small gestures of solidarity.
For Ambassador Nicolò Tassoni Estense, the book is also a sort of legacy, as his mandate in Myanmar comes to an end. “I will always carry with me the memory of this profound exchange with the Burmese people”, he said. "And I will try to continue to support New Humanity's work even from afar."
Photo: Italian Embassy in Yangon/Facebook
.png)
27/03/2018 16:21
23/03/2018 14:13
20/09/2022 11:29
