Stresa, Regina Palace Hotel

The prestige and the extraordinariness of the event that boasts authoritative patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affair, the Ministry of the Fine Arts, the Austrian embassy to the Quirinal, region Piedmont, Stresa town, the Austrian embassy to the Holy See, the Austrian General Consulate, the Austrian Cultural Institute of Milan, it's increased more and more the reputation of this ball. The fame's got over the regional and national limits', counting the participation of foreign girls. Vienna sul Lago isn't a commercial bal, in fact it's organized from a committee non-profit whom the members lend their work for nothing and propose a charitable aim: every year the evening's receipts are given money to charity and this year is for the charitable works of the Holy Military Constantinian Order St. George's, that looks after services sanitary emergency, with a special division bounds up with the needier children.
Keeping the tradition, the great ball'd offer to the young women a romantic dream, the occasion of a cultural exchange between of girls and boys coming from all Italy sides', a friendship vehicle's between Italy and Austria, in a place so charming like the Maggiore lakesides and the Regina Palace's gorgeous nineteenth-century halls. Even the events, seemingly "thoughtless", can be a great occasion to make the most of cities and palace that the Italy is rich. So, I'm glad to give the Ministry of the Fine Arts and the Cultural Activities' patronage to this event. As Minister, I'd express my appreciation to the realization of this only and traditional initiative in the Stresa's charming setting and I wish to every participant a musical and dancing nice evening.

Greetings from the QUIRINAL

Stresa and Vienna, the beautiful initiative about the organization of a Viennese ball on a lake binds this two places in a particular way. The environment charming and the Stresa's great traditions, offers a ideal setting to a gala night with the Viennese waltz.
I thank, with all my heart, the Great ball Vienna sul Lago organizers' for their dedication and I wish to every participant a wonderful evening.
Alfons M. Kloss

Greetings from the Holy See

To every participant of the Vienna sul Lago Ball, I send my kind regards and best wishes for the excellent success of this initiative, marked by the friendship between Italy and Austrian. I'm convinced that the music represents a ideal bridge between European people, which the bonds are further reinforced with the lately introduction of a common money.
Walter Greinert

Greetings from the Mayor of Vienna

I'd like express my praise to this initiative which underline the friendly and the reliable relationship that bind Austrian and Italy.
I'm very glad, moreover, that the ball goes off in the sign of a right cause. So I'd like to offer my particular greeting to the participants and I wish to the organizers a deserved success.
Michael Häupl

GREETINGS FROM THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE

The appointment of the year 2002 event is today, Saturday the 16th of November, at Stresa, the "Pearl of the lake Maggiore", which is going to have twenty-one young "pearls" as guests for the 8th edition in the refurbished glittering setting of the Regina Palace Hotel.

It's the Deb's Great Ball "Vienna sul lago", the most prestigious in Italy and one of the most important in Europe, which is already known overseas and even (please allow me to say it with a little proud) in the country of the Rising Sun.

Our rule is, and will remain, everyone's humble work in a year's timeframe, in which every day that goes by separates and at the same time gets us closer to the meeting with our "Debs".
"Debs": this way we are honoured to call these young girls, whose unbounded dream and is able to renew a glittering atmosphere, rich of emotion and fascination, that is reflected in the satin and organza pleats of their white dresses and is the exterior mark of a romantic dream.

"Vienna sul lago" enshrines in itself both the present and the tradition of the past: it does not scandalize, it does not provoke; it doesn't want to undergo the terror that crossed the entire world one year ago but at the same time it does not forget the boundless crisis that is crashing into all of us nowadays.

"Vienna sul lago " is a symbol, among many others, of a society that loves peace, that wants to keep it, and that dreams that it might flourish even where it seems to be still far away.

"Vienna sul lago" is a dreams that becomes reality but it is not the recalling of a past time that is over : on the contrary it is the essence of a live present time through which the noble marriage of music and dance conveys, as in a modern communication network, its gift with pure and honest sincerity.

Other people are like a silence in the shadow, human beings "Vienna sul lago" always intended to hold out its hands to, and we can do it today much more than yesterday thanks to the Holy Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. This order has a secular tradition of giving assistance to the weakest people, whether they are sick, disabled or old: to them we address our charitable intervention. Being joint in sharing this spirit makes us proud and projects us into the future.

In this interpretation key, the Organization Board wishes to give its friendliest greetings as well as to thank all civil and military authorities, both Italian and Austrian, who granted their support to and are confident in our event. It wishes to thank all participants as well, who renew an ever growing and incontrovertible success with their constant and lively attendance.

A special thank-you for their economical contribution to all those who believed and keep believing in the goodness of our activity and who go beyond the distrust and indifference that often goes along with an event like this.

We also fervently wish our welcome guests, the twenty-one wonderful "Debs" and the young future Officers of the prestigious Italian Navy to keep dreaming in their life, with no fear and full of the same enthusiasm they are about to live this fabulous adventure with.

Thanks to you all.