The design world speaks Italian: of €100 billion in turnover, one third—around €32 billion—is ‘Made in Italy’. Now Italy has decided to take the promotion of their creative products to the next level, by celebrating—through a network of embassies and consulates—the first-ever Italian Design Day in more than 100 cities throughout the world.

The curtain was officially raised yesterday at the Foreign Ministry in Rome, where more than 30 design objects—including new and old Ferraris, Vespas, and Fiat 500s—were parked outside for the occasion. The event is organized by the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, and the Milan Triennial, and organized along with the Salone del Mobile Furniture Fair, the Industrial Design Association, and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE).