The state visit to Italy of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie ended with the greetings of Saragat. Foreign Minister Moro and Prime Minister Colombo had shown comprehension for the problems of Ethiopia’s development and decolonization.

The Negus’ journey in Italy continued in private form, with a dedicated train, towards Liguria: to Santa Margherita and the Grand Hotel Miramare located along the road to Portofino and overlooking the Tigullio Gulf.

The Negus arrived at the Miramare late in the evening, with a retinue of over fifty people, occupying thirty-six rooms on the first and second floors and another forty rooms in a nearby hotel. At the Grand Hotel Miramare, Haile Selassie showed interest in a plaque placed at the entrance reminding visitors that in 1933, from the panoramic terrace of the Miramare and for the first time in history, Guglielmo Marconi had transmitted telegraphic radio and telephonic radio signals via microwaves to a distance of 150 kilometers.

In the Grand Hotel Miramare, the Negus was greeted by some thirty-five scholars representing fifteen nations who were attending a convention there.

We did this research on Haile Selassie’s visit to the Grand Hotel Miramare during the presentation of Invernomuto’s film Negus in November 2017, for one of Miramart‘s meetings: art is the true passion of Andrea Fustinoni, whose family has owned the Grand Hotel since 1945.

This story is told to highlight the Wes Anderson-like air of the Grand Hotel Miramare: History intertwined with stories.