A new bridge between Calabria and the United States will take shape in Decollatura on August 19, when the town welcomes Nick Fuoco, Honorary Consul of Italy in Utah, for a public event dedicated to emigration, collective memory and roots tourism.
The meeting, titled “Emigrazione, Memoria e Turismo delle Radici: un ponte tra le nostre comunità" (Emigration, Memory and Roots Tourism: A Bridge Between Our Communities) will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Decollatura’s municipal council chamber. The initiative is organized by the municipal administration and Fondazione Italiani.it as part of efforts to promote tourism connected to the Italian diaspora.
The choice of Utah is particularly meaningful. Numerous people from Decollatura and their descendants live in the state, creating a direct human connection between this Calabrian community and the American West.
Fuoco himself embodies that connection. Appointed Honorary Consul in Salt Lake City in May 2025, he has family roots in Pedivigliano, in the province of Cosenza. A business executive and longtime promoter of Italian culture, Fuoco has been active in Utah’s Italian community for more than 20 years and founded Salt Lake City’s Festa Italiana, which has grown into a major celebration of Italian heritage.
Welcoming him in Decollatura will be Mayor Raffaella Perri, Pedivigliano Mayor Giuseppe Perri, Decollatura council member Claudio Marasco and Calabria regional council member Orlandino Greco, who is responsible for relations with Calabrians around the world.
The program will also celebrate another story of emigration. Salvatore Lupo, who emigrated to Australia, will receive the “Custode delle Radici” award. The event will include Luca Bonacci’s video documentary “Salvatore,” a photographic exhibition and a tour of Decollatura’s 4 hamlets.
The gathering reflects a broader idea behind roots tourism – transforming the memory of Italian emigration into living connections between today’s Calabria and communities created by generations of Italians abroad.
