Marc-René de Montalembert and his wife Manuela Scammacca della Bruca are the founders of the Marc de Montalembert Foundation in memory of their son Marc (1972-1993). As he was of both French and Italian descent, the foundation that bears his name focuses on raising awareness of the richness of Mediterranean cultures among young people of this region and on promoting intercultural dialogue. Marc-René de Montalembert is a retired senior official with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). His professional life was dedicated to international cooperation and development assistance.

“Conversation in the Library is a very welcome initiative of Hafız Ahmed Agha and Ahmed Fethi Pasha Foundation as it reunites in one collection a number of important contributions about history, art and culture in the Medieval City of Rhodes. So, we are grateful and pleased to participate in this initiative with our account of a modern foundation whose objective is to enhance the conservation and the cultural life of the Medieval City with an example of nature protection and cultural activities for the benefit of all. It shows what can be done at a moment when so many medieval buildings which have been restored at great cost are left closed and unattended: on the contrary it is indeed indispensable to accompany the current mass tourism with cultural education and emblematic promotion of the past and present of this prestigious World Heritage city.”

Marc-René de Montalembert