An Unexpected Rendezvous with Artist Bertel Thorvaldsen
May 5, 2026
Photos: Office of the President.
The President Visits Circolo Scandinavo in Rome
Marie Kraft tells the President and entourage about Circolo Scandinavo.
The President visited the Nordic cultural center Circolo Scandinavo in Rome as part of her working visit to Italy. There, the President unexpectedly came across a familiar portrait of the Icelandic-Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Iceland is a member of Circolo Scandinavo, a community of Nordic artists whose roots date back to 1860, when the Nordic libraries in the city joined forces to create a haven for people from the Nordic countries in Rome. For more than 160 years, Nordic artists have had access there to work on their creative projects and research across various art forms, including Bertel Thorvaldsen, August Strindberg, Henrik Ibsen, Selma Lagerlöf, and Sigrid Undset.
Marie Kraft, director of Circolo Scandinavo, board member Jóna Hlíf Halldórsdóttir, and Ingólfur Árnason, former director welcomed the President and her entourage. The President said it was particularly pleasing to see how strong and lasting the Nordic cooperation is in the Italian capital. She was also pleasantly surprised to see a painting of sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen there which is identical to a painting by Émile Jean-Horace Vernet displayed in the reception of Bessastaðir.
During the visit, Marie Kraft explained that over 300 artists apply for residency at Circolo Scandinavo, and around 60 are awarded grants for stays of one or two months. The cultural center also plays an active part in Rome’s cultural life through events and exhibitions. One of the biggest events each year, according to Kraft, is the Nordic Film Festival, organized in cooperation with the Nordic embassies.
The Nordic Film Festival in Rome is usually held in the fall. At the last festival, the film When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot) by Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson was screened there.
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