Thursday was an important date for Italy for several reasons. In Vatican City it saw the election of Pope Leo XIV and, in Boise City Hall, it saw the establishment of Italian consulate services in Idaho.

The evening gathering brought family of the newly-named Honorary Consul of Italy in Idaho Ron Gambassi, the Consul General of Italy in San Francisco, Sergio Strozzi, and dozens of Italian and Italian-American community members together for an inauguration and reception that celebrated the presence of Italian culture in Boise with food, dance and a history lesson on the origins of the Italian anthem delivered by Italian language students.