Lucia Ducci is one of the first people who touched my life when I first came to Florence as a student in September 2008. Besides being my language tutor, she has been a great coach and supporter.Tonight I was proud to attend the presentation of Lucia's recently published book, L'Unita Debole which was given at Palazzo Strozzi by the "Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario". Lucia's book represents the results of her 3 year research study that examines the political and social condition of Italy, and it's relationsip with the U.S. shortly after the Risorgimento, as seen through the eyes of George Perkins Marsh, the American Ambassador to Italy during Florence's brief reign as capital of Italy. Through her discovery and interpretation of private letters and documents, Lucia filled in a piece of missing history through the authorship of her book. It was an enlightening experience for me to learn how book presentations are given in Italy and to learn about the difficulties that Italy faced in the years following its unification in 1864.
The presentation took place in a mangificent hisortically singificant library and was presented by an elite panel of political scientists, historians and professors who eloquently and fervently discussed various significant aspects and perspectives of Lucia's book. I was very proud to be at this presentation because it helped me to understand Lucia more profoundly, and I think our language lessons and friendship will be all that more better because I admire Lucia even more now than I did before. 