Dear friends,
as mentioned last month, there is great news in the world of We the Italians. After having screened many tour operators who had contacted us, we have established a partnership with Micromegas, which will help us to offer you experience tours in Italy, with several new features and special contents.
The first tour we propose contains participation in our June 17 Gala, the only event in Italy that celebrates you, the Italian American community. The tour includes tours of Rome, Florence and Pompeii, and those who attend will also be welcomed by us at We the Italians at our gala evening. Please find more information about the tour and how to register here, and a description of our gala here. We look forward to seeing you in Rome on June 17!
Last February 21, we were honored by the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Italy to participate in the "Raising Voices for Ukraine" concert on the second anniversary of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. In the music auditorium of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Amazing Grace Gospel Choir, the Kyiv Virtuosi Orchestra, and American artist Amii Stewart performed to send a message of solidarity towards the Ukrainian people, blending elements of the Ukrainian folk and classical tradition, gospel, African-American spirituals and jazz into one voice. We the Italians was there, and I was able to personally thank H.E. Ambassador Jack Markell for this important initiative. Three flags, one heart!
Another important event that will be part of our June gala is "Love It Detroit - The Perfect Pitch." On March 7, I spoke at the Webinar organized to promote the Call launched as part of the ROCK-Registry Open Contest for Knotworking in which We the Italians is a partner, dedicated to emerging Italian startups in the sustainable mobility sector, with the ambition of opening the doors of the U.S. market to them and hosting the three winners in Detroit, Michigan, in collaboration with the Italian Consulate in the Motor City.
One of the partners of We the Italians in "Love It Detroit - The Perfect Pitch" is the volcanic Davide Ippolito, who - as we say here in Italy - "una ne fa e cento ne pensa" (while he does one thing, he’s already thinking about a hundred others). We the Italians will accompany Davide's new project, who since August has moved to New York: thanks to his invitation, I had the pleasure of sending a message, as I unfortunately could not be there in person, to the presentation of the magazine "Il Newyorchese," held at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York. Stay tuned on this project, too!
To conclude, it was my pleasure and honor to welcome to Rome Professor Stefaan Missinne and be invited to participate in his lecture held at the Rome branch of Notre Dame University a few days ago. Professor Stefaan Missinne is the protagonist of the next We the Italians interview, to be published in April. Some of you know that April 17 will mark the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in the New York Bay, the first to arrive there from Europe. Prof. Missinne is Verrazzano's foremost world expert, and his latest book, "Leonardo da Vinci and Verrazzano's Royal Discovery of New York (1524-2024)," has just been published. I bet very few of you knew that there is a direct and great influence between Leonardo da Vinci and Giovanni da Verrazzano, right? In April we will tell you all about it (and much more) on We the Italians.
Once again, let me remember the new yearbook of We the Italians is available. You can find a preview and buy a copy here. Finally, please check our virtual store, the perfect place where to buy gifts for your family, your friends and – why not – for yourself! You can find more than 20 products in different colors: t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, onesies, mugs, notebooks, pillows, totes, tapestries, pins, laptop and smartphone cases, magnets, stickers, masks. Buy We the Italians!
It’s all for now. Please stay safe and take care, and enjoy our magazine and our contents on our website. The future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades. A big Italian hug from Rome!
