Embassy of Sweden in Rome
LocationRome
AddressAmbasciata di Svezia
Piazza Rio de Janeiro 3
00161 ROMA RM
Italy
AmbassadorJan Björklund (since 2020)
Jurisdiction Italy
 San Marino
WebsiteOfficial website

The Embassy of Sweden in Rome is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Italy. The Swedish embassy in Rome dates back to the 1450s and is thus the oldest in the world. Birger Månsson was sent to Rome because the Swedish government wanted to improve the relationship with the Pope. Today, the embassy is also a representation at the UN agencies in Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The ambassador has a dual accreditation in San Marino.[1]

History

The Swedish legation in Rome has very old roots. Already in the 1400s, Sweden dispatched a delegate to protect Swedish interests at the Roman Curia, the highest administrative body of the Roman Catholic Church.[2] In March 1956 an agreement was reached between the Swedish and Italian governments on the mutual elevation of the respective countries' legations to embassies. In connection with this, on 2 March the Swedish government appointed the then envoy, Baron Johan Beck-Friis, as Sweden's ambassador in Rome.[3]

Today, the Embassy of Sweden covers Italy and San Marino.[2] The embassy is also responsible for Sweden's relations with the UN bodies based in Rome – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).[4]

Buildings

Chancery

In the 1910s and the early 1920s, the chancery building was located at Palazzo Capranica via Teatro Valle 16 in Rome.[5][6] In early 1920s, it moved to Via di Villa Patrizi 3.[7] By the 1930s, it had moved to Viale del Policlinico 131.[8] By the 1940s, the address was once again Via di Villa Patrizi 3.[9] In the mid-1940s, the chancery moved to Viale Michele Bianchi 12 GA and Via di Villa Patrizi 3 became the ambassadorial residence.[10] In the late 1940s, the chancery moved back to Viale Policlinico, but now to number 129 A.[11]

The building that now houses the Embassy of Sweden is located at Piazza Rio de Janeiro 3 and was designed in the years 1965–66 and completed in 1967.[4] In April 1977, Sweden purchased the property from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) through the National Property Board of Sweden's predecessor the National Board of Public Building (Byggnadsstyrelsen). PIME, an organisation that dates back over 150 years, also owned the villa that previously stood on the same plot. Not far from Villa Borghese lies the Piazza Rio de Janeiro in north-east Rome. With its modernist facade, the property stands apart from the surrounding buildings in the area, which are older and more classical in nature.[4]

Residence

Via di Villa Patrizi 3, which was used as chancery on and off since the 1920s, became the ambassadorial residence in the mid-1940s.[10] In the late 1940s, the residence moved to another house on the same street, Via di Villa Patrizi 5.[11]

The property is 1,500 square meters and is set in a well-kept green, sparkling garden surrounded by tall walls and stately gates.[12] The Swedish state bought the property on 18 April 1922. In connection with the purchase, architect Ragnar Hjort was commissioned to draw up documents for redevelopment, and his proposal was then not implemented. The building has been renovated and rebuilt several times. Among other things, a garage, a new entrance and a greenhouse have been added. In 2008–2009, the National Property Board of Sweden carried out a project that attempted to return to a more authentic plaster facade. The new plaster facade now blends into the surrounding buildings.[12]

Heads of Mission

Sweden's minister at the "Courts of Italy" (1793–1836), Johan Claes Lagersvärd, painted in Swedish diplomatic uniform with the Royal Order of Vasa around his neck. In the background is a bust of king Gustav IV Adolf, and through the window one can see Florence Cathedral. Painting by Louis Gauffier in Florence. (1799)
NamePeriodTitleAccreditationCity
Geronimo Marchelli1766–1788Chargé d’affairesGenoa
Georg Gustaf Wrangel1788–1793Minister PlenipotentiaryGenoa
Francesco Piranesi1790–1794ResidentRome
Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt1792–1794Minister PlenipotentiaryGenoa
Johan Claes Lagersvärd1793–1814Chargé d’affaires
Francesco Piranesi1794–1798Minister
Johan Claes Lagersvärd1814–1836Minister Resident
Johan Wilhelm Bergman1841–1852Chargé d’affaires
Carl Wachtmeister1852–1858Chargé d’affaires
Carl Edward Wilhelm Piper1859–1861Chargé d’affaires
Carl Fredrik Hochschild1861–1863Chargé d’affaires
Carl Fredrik Hochschild1863–1865Minister Resident
Carl Edward Wilhelm Piper1865–1872Envoy
Hans Henrik von Essen1873–1877Envoy
Frans Theodor Lindstrand1877–1889Envoy
Carl Bildt1889–1902Envoy
Thor von Ditten1903–1905Envoy
Carl Bildt1905–1920Envoy
Augustin Beck-Friis1920–1927Envoy
Erik Sjöborg1928–1937Envoy
Einar af Wirsén1937–1940Envoy
Hans Beck-Friis1940–1942Envoy
Joen Lagerberg1942–1946Envoy
Christian Günther1946–1950Envoy
Johan Beck-Friis1950–1956Envoy
Johan Beck-Friis1956–1956Ambassador
Eric von Post1956–1965Ambassador
Brynolf Eng1966–1973AmbassadorAlso accredited to Valletta.[13]
Dick Hichens-Bergström1973–1979AmbassadorAlso accredited to Valletta.[13]
Axel Lewenhaupt1979–1983AmbassadorAlso accredited to Valletta.[13]
Eric Virgin1983–1986AmbassadorAlso accredited to Valletta.[13]
Sven Fredrik Hedin1986–1989Ambassador
Ola Ullsten1989–1995AmbassadorAlso accredited to Tirana (from 1992).
Torsten Örn1996–1998AmbassadorAlso accredited to Tirana.
Göran Berg1998–2002AmbassadorAlso accredited to Tirana.
Staffan Wrigstad2002–2006AmbassadorAlso accredited to Tirana.
Anders Bjurner2006–2010AmbassadorAlso accredited to Tirana.
Ruth Jacoby2010–2015AmbassadorAlso accredited to the City of San Marino.[14]
Robert Rydberg2015–2020AmbassadorAlso accredited to the City of San Marino.[15]
Jan Björklund2020–presentAmbassador

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Om oss" [About us] (in Swedish). Embassy of Sweden, Rome. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Rom, Italien. Amabassadkansli" (in Swedish). National Property Board of Sweden. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Nya ambassadörer". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 1956-03-03. p. 4A. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rome, Italy, Embassy of Sweden". National Property Board of Sweden. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  5. ↑ Sveriges statskalender för år 1915 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1915. p. 169.
  6. ↑ Sveriges statskalender för året 1921 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell. 1921. p. 173.
  7. ↑ Sveriges statskalender för året 1925 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell. 1925. p. 185.
  8. ↑ Sveriges statskalender för året 1931 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1931. p. 191.
  9. ↑ Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1940 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1940. p. 226.
  10. 1 2 Sveriges statskalender för året 1945 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1945. p. 266.
  11. 1 2 Sveriges statskalender för året 1950 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1950. p. 283.
  12. 1 2 "Rom, Italien. Ambassadörsresidenset" (in Swedish). National Property Board of Sweden. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Cachia, Francis (14 November 2009). "Diplomatic Relations between Malta and Sweden". The Malta Independent. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Regeringen utser nya ambassadörer" (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 March 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "CV - AMBASSADOR ROBERT RYDBERG" (PDF). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
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