Click here to listen to Friedman's remark (3:45 minutes)

Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times columnist and best-selling author, is the winner of the "2009 Urbino Press Award." The announcement was made by Minister Luca Ferrari at a reception hosted by the Italian Embassy in Washington, on April 20, 2009. In his remarks, Friedman said, "I'm Jewish but I believe in reincarnation. . . I think in a previous life I lived in Urbino."

The Urbino Press Award in recognition of excellence in journalism is awarded to American reporters, who through their commitment and daily work, conscientiously to inform millions of people.

Friedman follows Martha Raddatz who was awarded the prize in 2008. Among those attending the event were prior Urbino Prize winners, ABC News' Martha Raddatz and Time magazine reporter Michael Weisskopf.

The official award ceremony will be held later this year in Urbino, Italy.

Among the event’s prominent attendees were the Award’s founder and president, Mr. Giovanni Lani, the President of the Urbino Chamber of Commerce Alberto Drudi, the Mayor of Acqualagna Bruno Capanna, and the event’s main sponsor, fashion designer Giacomo Guidi, as well as various co-sponsors and business and tourism representatives.

The evening concluded with an apperance of the band Suspicious Package which played in honor of Friedman. This local band is composed of drummer Tom Toles, who, by day, is the Pulitzer-prize winning Washington Post political cartoonist, vocalist and keyboardist Christina Sevilla, the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, bass player Tim Burger, a reporter for Bloomberg. Los Angeles Times national security correspondent Josh Meyer (lead guitar and vocals) and deputy assistant secretary of HUD Bryan Greene, guitarist and vocals.

"Hope they don't take themselves seriously" one of the guests was overheard commenting on his way out. Obviously the critic had not read Suspicious Package's motto: “We’re not bad... after you’ve had a couple martinis.”

(Pictured top: Thomas Friedman; pictured middle: Giacomo Guidi, fashion designer, Alberto Drudi, president of the Pesaro and Urbino Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta, and  Giovanni Lani, founder and president of the Urbino Press Award; and pictured above, Christina Sevilla Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative) | CiaoAmerica photos|