New home for Italian consulate - Angus Robertson

Congratulations to Italian Consul General Veronica Ferrucci and the Italian diplomatic mission to Edinburgh, who have commissioned the refurbishment of the Old London House building on East London Street as a new and larger joint home for their Consulate and Italian Cultural Institute.

Italian Consul General Veronica Ferrucci

The £1.9 million renovation is a warmly welcomed addition to the rich diplomatic community in the city. In recent years, the French, US and Brazilian missions have expanded both to new premises and in numbers of staff. This is reflective of Scotland’s expanding role and interest from the rest of the world.

Indeed, a recent paper on the impact of Scotland’s overseas work shows increasing economic and cultural value of international connections, as well as the strengthening of ties between Scots and friends of Scotland at home and abroad. I thoroughly recommend readers take a look at the Scottish Government International network: annual report 2022-23 to understand our international links and the benefits.

With 10,000 Italian nationals in Scotland and at least 40,000 Scots of Italian heritage, the social, economic and cultural ties between our two nations are of great importance.

Insite Group, the contractors delivering the work said: “Our brief is to transform the existing building into a welcoming and functional space that reflects the warmth and dynamism of Italian culture. This will involve careful restoration of the building's period features, alongside the integration of modern amenities and technologies to create a space that is both beautiful and efficient.”

I wish the Italian Consul General and her team all the best for this exciting project.