Boris Biancheri-Chiappori

Boris Biancheri combined diplomacy with a later career as a writer and public commentator. After legal studies he entered the foreign ministry in 1956, working in Foreign Minister Gaetano Martino’s office. He became ambassador in Tokyo and London before taking charge of Italy’s embassy in Washington in 1991. ¹

In 1992 Biancheri organized the architectural competition that selected Sartogo Architetti Associati’s design for the Whitehaven Street site. Architect Piero Sartogo credited him with establishing contacts with local authorities, particularly the Commission of Fine Arts. ²

After Washington, Biancheri served as secretary general of the foreign ministry from 1995 to 1997. He later led institutions in international affairs and journalism, including ISPI, ANSA, and the Italian newspaper publishers’ federation, and wrote for La Stampa. His books ranged from international politics to fiction: Il quinto esilio won the Elsa Morante prize, and La traversata appeared after his death in 2011. ¹