Belgium and Italy cherish close historical ties

From 20 to 22 October 2025, Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited our country, accompanied by his daughter Laura. What exactly are the historical ties between Belgium and Italy? And what can the two countries do for each other today?

In Belgium, Italian restaurants serving pizza and pasta dishes are ubiquitous. And who cannot name a handful of famous Belgians of Italian descent? Salvatore Adamo, Rocco Granata, Elio Di Rupo, Enzo Scifo, Sandra Kim, Laura Tesoro… All traces of the Italian community that has harmoniously settled within Belgian society.

Migration waves

The Italian community in Belgium is the result of four waves of migration. In the second half of the 19th century, Italians helped build our railway network. After the First World War, Italians were already working in our coal mines.

But the most well-known and significant wave of migration occurred just after the Second World War. Italy was grappling with soaring unemployment, while Belgium was in urgent need of labour for its mines. Tens of thousands of Italians made their way to our country. EU membership also led to an influx of Italians in the 1980s.

Initially, integration was far from smooth. The living and working conditions of Italian immigrants shortly after WWII were appalling, and they often faced racism.

The Marcinelle mining disaster of 1956, deeply etched in our memory, caused shockwaves in both countries. The tragedy claimed 262 lives, including 136 Italians and 95 Belgians. Integration improved significantly afterwards. Today, Italian migration to Belgium can rightly be called a success story.

Renaissance artists and academics

Belgians, too, are drawn to Italy’s charm. Each year, they flock to admire its historic art cities, ancient monuments, and breathtaking landscapes.

This mutual attraction actually goes back centuries. Renaissance artists from our region, such as Bruegel, Rubens, and Van Dyck (16th and 17th centuries), travelled to the Mediterranean country to find inspiration and study the Italian and classical masters. Italian art, in turn, was undoubtedly influenced by artists from our regions.

In that same period, ‘Belgian’ academics such as Vesalius were also very active in Italy. Well known too are the Italian merchants from the great trading cities and the Lombard bankers who settled in Bruges in the 15th century, the birthplace of the very first stock exchange.

Royal family

For the sake of completeness, we also mention the ties between our royal family and Italy. Queen Paola, the mother of King Philippe, hails from the Italian region of Lombardy.

And the Academia Belgica in Rome was shaped in part thanks to Princess Marie-José of Belgium, the sister of King Leopold III. She married Crown Prince Umberto of Italy in 1930 and briefly became the last Queen of Italy. Soon after, she founded an institution to enable Belgian artists and art historians to stay in Italy. Even today, the Academia Belgica succeeds in forging strong ties between the Belgian and Italian academic and cultural worlds.

Economic powerhouse

Although many Italians came to Belgium from 1946 onwards to escape unemployment, Italy nevertheless quickly developed into an economic powerhouse. It is a member of the G7 – the group of seven leading economies – and of the G20. For Belgium, it is therefore a heavyweight ally.

The Mediterranean country has long excelled in food, fashion, furniture & design, and (automotive) engineering. Iconic brands like Ferrero Rocher (chocolates), Nutella (chocolate spread), Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Ferrari (cars), ENI (energy), and Armani, Gucci, and Versace (fashion) are quintessentially Italian.

The two countries are important economic partners. Trade is largely centred around chemical products, but there is also close collaboration in areas such as environmental and energy transition, smart cities and ports, defence, biotechnology, digital innovation, and aerospace.

Around 100 Belgian companies have branches in Italy, mainly in Lombardy and Piedmont. These include Solvay/Syensqo, Tessenderlo Group, Reynaers Aluminium, Katoen Natie, Brussels Airlines, UCB, and Puratos.

Conversely, Italy also invests in Belgium: New Holland (Zedelgem, agricultural machinery), Ferrero (Arlon), Sol (Feluy, technical gases), RIVA Group (Marcinelle, steel), etc. Europ Assistance Belgium (insurance) is part of Generali di Trieste, Publigaz is now part of ENI, and so on.

Like-minded ally

Especially in times when multilateralism and universal values are under threat, it is no luxury to strengthen ties with a like-minded nation. Belgium and Italy were both among the founding members of what is now the European Union (EU). The historic contributions of Belgian and Italian pioneers such as Paul-Henri Spaak, Alcide De Gasperi, and Altiero Spinelli played a decisive role in the success of the European project.

Both countries cooperate effectively within NATO, the UN, and other international institutions. They share a common vision of peace, stability, and solidarity. Italy’s strategic position, close to the Balkans and Africa, makes it a key player in ensuring stability along the EU’s southern border.

Recently, Belgium has increasingly been confronted with drug-related violence. It can therefore learn a great deal from Italy’s experience in the fight against organised crime, the mafia and drug trafficking, as well as cybercrime and terrorism. In terms of military capability, there is much we can learn as well.

Dante and Michelangelo

In short, Italy is an extremely important partner with whom we must nurture relations, and an official state visit is an excellent opportunity to do so. In 2020, a planned visit by our royal couple was cancelled twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A one-day working visit by King Philippe to Rome in December 2021 partially compensated for the cancelled state visit.

The recent incoming state visit – from 20 to 22 October 2025 – was intended to definitively make up for the missed opportunities. Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura were treated to several highlights across the three regions. The aim was to showcase the wealth of our nation and the close historical ties between the two countries.

In Bruges, the president learned about the influence of Italian merchants on the city’s prosperity. A masterpiece by Michelangelo – Madonna and Child – still bears witness to this shared heritage. At the Royal Library of Belgium, the dignitaries were shown one of the oldest manuscripts of La Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri. And in Marcinelle, the mining disaster of 1956 was solemnly commemorated.

During the state visit, our country clearly positioned itself as a loyal friend of Italy. Both countries are more eager than ever to collaborate and are fully prepared to support the EU in today’s challenging global context.