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Massimo Baistrocchi

Biography:
Massimo Baistrocchi, a graduate of Political Science at the University of Milan, was born on August 17, 1942 in Karuizawa, Japan, where his diplomat father was stationed at the time. With his family, he lived in Argentina, Brazil, Egypt and France. In 1970, he joined the Press Department of the Italian Foreign Ministry (he became a journalist in 1968 and since then has contributed as a freelancer to many Italian and foreign newspapers and magazines, on many subjects as art, socio-anthropology, travel and other cultural issues). In 1972 he was later posted to Kuaka Lumpur, Malaysia, and in 1975 to Algiers, Algeria. Following an assignment in Rome, Italy (1979-1983), as the Head of the Department in charge of promoting Italian culture throughout the world, he was posted to Washington as a Political Counsellor and in 1986 was transferred as Head of the Political Chancery to Moscow, Russia (then URSS), before being posted (1988-1991) to Hong Kong as Consul General. He returned to Rome and completed a new tour of duty (1991-1996), as a Head of a Department of Economic Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was subsequently in May 1996 designated to represent his country abroad and became Ambassador of Italy to Ghana and Togo (1996/2001), and subsequently Ambassador to Namibia (2001/2004). At his return to Rome he became President of the “Interministerial Commission for the Recovering of Works of Art” (especially archaeological artefacts exported, stolen and/or acquired illegally from looters in American museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Boston and the Getty museums etc.), before being posted again in Africa as the Ambassador of Italy to Abuja (Nigeria) and Cotonou (Benin). Deeply involved in archaeology and photography, he is a senior contributor to the magazine “Archeo”, particularly on Saharan Rock art, on African cultures and on Chinese bronzes and archaeology.

Publications:
He has published many books on literature, archaeology, politics and cultural affairs: - "Gioielli d’Oriente: Ajanta & Ellora, Kajuraho, Ayutthaya, Borobodur", Istituto Geografico Militare, Firenze 1978 - "Misteriosi Messaggi", Pan Editore, Milano 1979 - "Elementi di Politica Culturale Estera", A. Armando Editore, Roma 1985; - "Antiche Civiltà del Sahara", U. Mursia Editore, Milano 1986; - "Che cosa cambia nell’URSS di Gorbaciov?", U. Mursia Editore, Milano 1990; - "EX-URSS – Il problema delle nazionalità da Lenin alla CSI", U. Mursia Editore, Milano 1992; - "Orme di sciamani", Calderini Editore, Bologna 1999; - "Ettore Baistrocchi, mio padre", memorie nella “Collana Studi Diplomatici” della Rubbettino Ed., Cosenza 2008; - "Ghana, sulle tracce dell’oro degli Ashanti", Polaris, Firenze (in press) - "Il Castello e i suoi amanti" Spirali, Milano, 2008 (The Castle and its lovers); presented by Noble Literature Prize Laureate (1986) Wole Soyinka at the University of Pisa and at Villa Borromeo in Milan

In the collection “Strenna per gli amici” (“A yearly gift to friends”) he has published the following titles:

- Pamiat (1989), disegni di artisti sovietici dedicati all’autore; - Iskuvssko (1990), schegge d’avanguardie russe e sovietiche; - Hsiu Yee Wuh (1991), le pipe ad acqua cinesi; - H.K. Addio (1993), ricordi di Hong Kong; - Gardaïa (1994), ricordi d’Algeria; - Taccuini Sahariani (1995), diari di spedizioni nel deserto (vol. I) - Taccuini Sahariani (1996), diari di spedizioni nel deserto (vol. II) - Carissimitutti. . - Malaysia (1972-1975) (1997), ricordi della Malaysia nelle lettere ai familiari; - Alfredo, Ettore, Marco (1985-1997) (1997), ricordi familiari; - 30(1998), trent’anni di giornalismo; - Nel Borneo (1998), ricordi della Malaysia. Nei Mari del Sud (1999), ricordi di viaggio dalla Malaysia alle isole Tuamotu; - In Sicilia (2002), viaggio la scoperta della Magna Grecia; - Mali (2001), ricordi dei Dogon e della Falesia del Bandiagara, Timbuktu, Mopti e Djenné; - Incontri (2002), incontri con personaggi celebri - Adinkra (2003), simboli del Ghana e opere dipinte a “collage” - Perle d’Africa (2004), luoghi ed esperienze d’Africa: Ghana, Namibia, Sud Africa e Zimbabwe - Nok (2005), scavi e ritrovamenti archeologici di una cultura della Nigeria - Ritorno nell’Uovo (2006), Atto Unico scritto a quattro mani con l’attore Eligio Irato, oggi scomparso - A Mosca (2007), ricordi dell’URSS

He has also published many other works: poetry, art and cultural issues, illustrated with etchings.

- Panarea, Cartella editoriale con un testo ed otto incisioni, Milano 1967; - Monenvassia, Racconto breve con una poesia, Ambrosini, Roma 1971; - Proverbi Malesi, Raccolta di proverbi malesi, Ambrosini, Roma 1972; - Poesie brevi e due poesie d’amore, Poesie, Ambrosini, Roma 1973; - Tre poesie per Allegra, Poesie, Ambrosini, Roma 1978; - Dedicato a..., Racconti e poesie. De Luca, Roma 1982: - L’enigma della scrittura, Poesie, Bastogi, Foggia 1984; - Poesie nuove e poesie rubate, Poesie, “All’insegna del pesce d’oro” - Edizioni V. Scheiwiller, Milano 1986; - Via Baccina, Poesie, Ambosini, Roma 1988; - Stanze di Mosca, Poesie, Ambrosini, Roma 1988; - Oued In-Djeran, Poesie, Hong Kong 1989, - E col pensiero di te..., Poesie, “All’insegna del pesce d’oro” - Edizioni V. Scheiwiller, Milano 1989; - Ancora parole d’amore per te..., Poesie con una cartella editoriale di otto incisioni, Edizioni de “Il Bisonte”, Firenze 1996; - Rose di Porcellana - Poesie dal Golfo di Guinea, Poesie, “All’insegna del pesce d’oro” - Edizioni V. Scheiwiller, Milano 1998; - Namibian Elegy – Poems, Gamsberg-MacMillan, Windhoek 2008

He has translated quite a few books, from spanish, english an french. Furthermore, ten of his books are available at the Library of Congress - Washington D.C. (USA)