Roman Reception for Ireland's President

the Irish harp decorates the gates of  Villa Spada 

Many years ago, while studying  in Dublin  and Sligo, Ireland,  I had the   opportunity to meet  the President of Ireland,  Eamon DeValera at the Presidential palace in Phoenix Park in Dublin. 
The elderly, partially blind statesman  was, even then,  a part  of Ireland's history and I, as a young  Irish-American  was  duly impressed.

view of Rome from  Janiculum hill 

Almost  fifty years later, on a beautiful  February evening, an  equally  unforgettable encounter, this time with  Irish President  Michael D. Higgins to whom I had the privilege of presented  a copy of my book chronicling the participation of Irish soldiers in the Italian Risorgimento.

 The magnificent and   historic Villa Spada was the perfect setting for it played an important part in the bloodiest   battles of the Italian  Risorgimento in 1849.

Arriving  by train we taxied  to the Embassy which is located on the Janiculum hill, close  to the American Academy and the American University.  

 The next time  I will use  Il Fontanone,  or Gli Archi (Porta San Pancrazio) as a reference point, for Roman taxi drivers don't all know  the embassy's  street address.

We had time  before the Reception to enjoy the view over the city from the panoramic terrace near the Fontanone. What a  magical atmosphere  surrounds this huge fountain  built by Pope Paul V  (Camillo Borghese) and embellilshed with the Borghese family's   symbolic  dragon.

dragon of the Borghese  

President Higgin's portrait adorns the  library  fireplace

bouquet in one of the reception rooms 

As members of  Italy's Irish  community began to fill the embassy's ample reception rooms, the President arrived with his wife, Sabina and staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs. 
One of the entourage, Donal Denham,  the Director of the  Europe Division of the Foreign Affairs Department, may  have historic family connections to our area of Northern Lazio. 

guests  filled the four reception rooms 

 Greetings  were made by  resident ambassador Michael Hennesy and then  President Michael D. Higgens  gave  his address, switching  smoothly from the musical Gaelic language to English.

guests from Ireland,Serbia and Italy 

Pauline Hennessy and Sabina  Higgins "guarding"  the President's copy of  my book  

Ambassador Hennessy  gives the welcome address  

Meeting  Irish  President Michael D. Higgins

at end of the evening,  empty glasses filled the fireplace mantle

Do you know why Rome is  the city with more embassies than any other ?