The Italian spirit of Fort Jesus now has its own identity and is visible to visitors from Kenya and around the world.
Last night in Mombasa, the event was a huge success with a large turnout. In addition to Kenyans and Italian and European residents, sailors and officers from the Italian Navy’s missile frigate Emilio Bianchi were also present. The ship is currently docked in the port of Mombasa as part of the European Union’s anti-piracy mission, Eunavfor Atalanta, for which it currently serves as the command headquarters.
The ceremony took place prior to a spectacular music and video mapping event in the extraordinary and evocative setting of the Mombasa archaeological site and museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 
The Italian Ambassador to Kenya, Vincenzo Del Monaco, unveiled a plaque in memory of the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati, who in the 16th century, during the Portuguese rule of the island city, designed the fort in the late Renaissance style for the King of Portugal, for whom he worked. The plaque was unveiled alongside the ambassador by the Minister of Culture, Arts, and Heritage, Hanna Wendot Cheptumo. This was followed by an interactive performance that transformed the ancient walls of the fort into a theatrical setting of lights and colors, accompanied by a blend of ethnic and modern music. “Sincronia,” the title of the event—a one-of-a-kind experience for Kenya—took shape through an artistic project curated by Isabella Indolfi and organized in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya and the MedOr Foundation. Performing in the extraordinary and evocative setting of Fort Jesus was the Nova Media Duo, composed of the young Italian multimedia artists Federica Sorba and Eduard Tampu, who traveled to Kenya specifically from Italy, accompanied by Kenyan saxophonist Juma Tutu, considered one of the most important exponents of traditional jazz from the Kenyan coast and of “bango,” an original sound that blends Swahili influences with Bantu and tropical elements.