I discovered the warmth and generosity of your people

Mrs. Zohara Campagnola, wife of H.E. Mr. Gian B. Campagnola, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Italy

Mrs. Campagnola, when you arrived in Bulgaria what were your ideas about the place that you were going to live in? What did you know about our country and our people in terms of history, culture, and customs? Have these ideas changed with the time going?
Most of the information I had at the beginning, came from the books that I read before coming to Bulgaria; I tried to get a feel for the country where I was going to spend some years of my life. My ideas about Bulgaria have been confirmed as much as I managed to gather more knowledge about the people, the history, and culture and, especially, the customs of your beautiful country. Living here during the last eight months, I had the opportunity to discover the Bulgarians’ warmth, generosity and seriousness. The thing that amazed me most was that although Bulgarians are so determined and concentrated in their everyday work, they demonstrate a good sense of humour, when the occasion allows.

What are your efforts as an Ambassador’s wife aimed at – charity, creation of good atmosphere for contacts in the field of culture, art, and education?
I belong to the International Women’s Club, which is a very active organization, especially when charity activities are concerned. This fact rewards me particularly from the personal point of view, thanks also to my university background in Psychology and Sociology. For the time being, the linguistic barrier does still limit the possibilities of closet contacts that I wish to have in particular with children and everyday people. Furthermore, I enjoy very much the initiatives that we are now developing in order to contribute to the Handicap centre here in Sofia. The people working there are fighting very hard to let everybody know that even the persons with handicaps are pretty normal and very capable and that their problems must not be considered as a obstacle in the communication with the others. As far as cultural life and artistic events are concerned, I collaborate actively with the Embassy of Italy in the numerous initiatives that it promotes, with the generous support of the Italian entrepreneurs, present here in Bulgaria. Due to this continuous commitment in this sphere, the Embassy is now organizing many future events which will positively surprise the public. In my opinion, the intensive cultural exchange which we can see in the context of our relations is facilitated also by the presence of so many young people, well-educated and open-minded, who are very much attracted by the Italian art and fashion.

Do you have favorite occupations and hobbies and do you feel sufficiently engaged with them?
I am really a sport-addicted person. I like very much tennis, horse-riding, swimming, jogging, kickboxing and so on. Moreover, I have been a ballet dancer for many years, and I am now trying to find a place here where I will be able to continue practicing. I love reading and cooking as well, but now I don’t find so much time for these hobbies and I can enjoy them mainly during the holidays. But my most favorite occupation however is spending more time with my daughter, and, despite all my busyness, I am trying to follow her in all her activities – in school and with her friends.

Has your stay in Bulgaria somehow enriched your interests?
Learning the Bulgarian alphabet and getting used with a completely new language is a challenge, but a very positive one. I personally retain the knowledge of the language the perfect way to know a country. I would really be delighted to have the possibility to converse with the normal Bulgarians. For me it is extremely interesting to go around the city and to visit the market sites and to see the life that is flooding the streets. I like also your museums, where one can admire incredible ancient pieces of art, which increase my curiosity and interest every time that I see them.

I love to travel in your country, which certainly is a beautiful one, and as a sociologist I am very interested in the explorations of its traditions and customs, conserved and respected a lot here.

How do you view the future of modern Bulgarians in United Europe? Will our people adapt to European realities and at what price?
In the history we can observe that the Bulgarians have always been able to adapt themselves to the new realities. So, they do not feel the need to make any great changes. Even now we can see that Bulgaria is getting every day closer to the EU, following its own natural way of development. In my opinion, young people will adapt more quickly, because they are more sensitive to the changes and they are more open with the rest of the world through the languages they know and the modern means of communication.

What is your opinion on the education of young people in the spirit of Christian virtue and moral? Two thousand years after the birth of Christ, do these values continue to be actual and to serve as a moral reference point to people?
I personally retain that morality and virtuousness are very personal dimensions and are subjects to individual interpretations. As a consequence, I am not able to express a judgment. As far as my family is concerned, my efforts are concentrated on the education of my daughter in order to help her to become self-confident adult with high moral, and I will be extremely happy if I succeed in doing so.

We would like to ask you something more personal: where and when did you meet your husband? And what did he fascinate you with?
I met my husband in Japan, where he was a diplomat in the Italian Embassy. What I found then, and still consider, a very attractive aspect of him is his strength of character, not being afraid to take decisions, his fairness, his intelligence, but most of all his humanity and the great smile. I also have to say that I appreciate very much his elegancy and his sense of beauty and esthetics.

Is it easy to share the mission of a career diplomat? What challenges do you have to face and what does this life give you?
I always dreamed to have this kind of life and I share my husband’s career and missions with great pleasure and personal satisfaction. He tries to make his work as interesting as possible and this means that although he is working hard every day, everybody who surrounds him is carried away by his enthusiasm.

The biggest challenge for me was to have my family, my brothers and sisters, far away. This was however compensated by my own family and my daughter. The specificity of our life and the fact that we are always together makes our family very strong and united.

I enjoy traveling around the world very much and I am very curious, so knowing new people and start new life in new house is very exciting. What we retain fundamental is to learn as more as possible about our host country and its people and it is easy for us, since both of us are curious and open to all new experiences.

Tell us more about yourself.
Growing up in household with parents and friends of different origins made me become a very “international” person. My parents had high moral values which, I think, they did manage to transmit to me. The most important of these aspects, are the strong family link and the readiness to help the others.

My childhood, including the ten years of college, was marked by the studies, my favorite sports and wonderful friends. My father embedded in me the love for traveling: he didn’t like airplanes, and he always traveled by ship and the long and romantic journeys.

I met my husband while I was still studying at the University and I have never had the opportunity to work after my graduation. For me, being a wife of successful career diplomat and a mother is a full-time job, which I enjoy. We have traveled a lot and had many different experiences in many different countries so far, and our life together is the most important thing. That is why, I can say that I feel myself extremely happy and fulfilled with it.

September 15, 2003, Mrs. Campagnola inaugurates the new school year at the National School Complex of Culture with Italian Lyceum in Gorna Banya