The society is named after Italy's great poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), who is considered the father of Italian language and literature.

The Dante Alighieri society in Vietnam was first established in Hanoi in 1994 under the umbrella of the Vietnam-Italy Friendship Association and the Italian Embassy in Vietnam, Mrs. Samuela Isopi, First Secretary of the Embassy, told a Vietnam News Agency reporter.

The establishment of the Dante Alighieri Centre in Vietnam is aimed at satisfying the increasing need of Vietnamese people who want to learn Italian and study the Italian culture, as well as increasing the development of Vietnamese-Italian relations, the Secretary stressed.

Besides regular Italian language courses, the centre will organise cultural events in the future, such as conferences and exhibitions on Italy, books on Italy and its people, she said, adding that the centre will be a place where people can receive support when they want to study or exchange information on Italy.