ROME
In a stunning display of cultural diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound admiration for renowned Italian painter Giampaolo Tomassetti during the final leg of his high-profile five-nation tour.
Tomassetti presented the Prime Minister with a breathtaking, intricately detailed painting of Varanasi, India’s ancient and deeply spiritual city also known as Kashi.
Lauding the painter’s lifelong dedication to exploring and translating Indian heritage, PM Modi took to social media to share the encounter, writing: “A glimpse of Kashi in Rome! Giampaolo Tomassetti, an Italian painter, presented his work on Varanasi.”
He highlighted that Tomassetti’s creative passion for Indian culture spans over four decades, pointing out that the artist began illustrating Vedic culture books in the 1980s and spent five years (2008–2013) crafting 23 massive, highly acclaimed canvas paintings detailing the Mahabharat epic.
The artistic exchange occurred shortly after PM Modi landed in the Italian capital, where he was greeted with a vibrant welcome from the local Indian diaspora. Immediately following his arrival, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted Modi for a private dinner. Meloni warmly shared a picture of the two leaders with the caption, “Welcome to Rome, my friend!”
Following their dinner, Modi and Meloni took a late-night stroll through the iconic Colosseum, engaging in deep conversations regarding global and bilateral affairs. The diplomatic push comes at a time of unprecedented momentum for India-Italy relations, as both administrations aggressively execute their Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029.
The extensive framework covers critical avenues including defense, clean energy, science, and trade which soared to an impressive 16.77 billion dollars in 2025 proving that the bond between New Delhi and Rome is growing stronger through both economic and artistic ties.