Acting Minister Algirdas Monkevicius expressed his condolences and said it's a huge loss for the global community of Baltic linguists and the Lithuanian culture.
"Professor Guido Michelini played an important role in Lithuanistics through his research of Lithuania Minor's writings and historic research of the Prussian and Baltic language in the area of Baltic linguistics. He was also an ambassador of the Lithuanian culture and literature in Italy as he introduced Italians to the Lithuanian literature, history and culture through this translations and articles, and he also participated in the research and cultural life not only in Italy but also in Lithuania," Monkevicius said.
Professor Michelini defended his doctoral and habilitation theses at Vilnius University and mostly researched and published the Lithuanian language's old monuments, Lithuanian texts and melody sources, from Lithuanian Minor.
The scholar also researched the historic problems of the Prussian and Baltic languages and translated Lithuanian literary works into the Italian language, and also published articles on Lithuania's history, and the Lithuanian-Italian cultural ties.
Michelini was a foreign member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and was awarded an Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, and a medal of the Ministry of Culture.