Dear friends,
After last month’s celebrations marking the 200th issue of our magazine, we enthusiastically set out on the road toward issue 300, beginning with an exceptionally eventful July.
The third supplement of our Two Anniversaries, One Heart project is now online in Italian and in English, featuring a wealth of fascinating and prestigious content. The Happy Birthday Italy section includes articles expressing Italy’s gratitude to the United States for its contributions over the past 80 years in the fields of culture, tourism, and higher education. As always, the Happy Birthday USA section is divided into two parts. The first features profiles of three prominent Italians who helped make America great: Rocco Petrone, Filippo Mazzei, and John Basilone. We also present the Unsung Italian Heroes of the East, with 18 articles celebrating 18 remarkable Italians in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia.
During a very hot Roman beginning of summer, we were honored to participate in two events that celebrated the beauty of the relationship between Italy and the United States from different perspectives.
At the first event, we joined our partners at FIDAF (Federazione Italiana di American Football) at the institutional headquarters of the Italian National Olympic Committee, CONI, for the premiere of the documentary “Touchdown Italia - An American Dream,” written and directed by Davide Ippolito. Through powerful images, the documentary tells the extraordinary story of the two finalists in the Italian American Football Championship - the Guelfi Firenze and Dolphins Ancona - and their adventure in Toledo, Ohio, in July 2025. Allegra Baistrocchi, the former Consul of Italy in Detroit, also attended the presentation. Her contribution was instrumental in making the sporting event in Ohio and the documentary possible.
A few days later, we celebrated Fulbright’s 80th anniversary, first at the Fulbright Annual Meeting at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at a reception hosted by Marta Costanzo Youth, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Rome.
Among the distinguished participants was our friend Amedeo Arena, with whom We the Italians has launched a collaboration entitled “Transatlantic Enlightenment: A 250-Year Conversation between Italy and America.”
Transatlantic Enlightenment will explore the shared Enlightenment heritage connecting Italy and the United States from the 18th century to the present. Through short essays and historical documents, the column will trace its influence on transatlantic exchanges involving liberty, education, public happiness, constitutionalism, democracy, and civic progress. You can read the first installment of this important collaboration here.
We have also begun another collaboration with our friend William Liani in New York. Entitled “Italian Alumni in the USA: Shaping America, Elevating Italy,” it is a new editorial space on We the Italians dedicated to the vibrant network of Italian university alumni chapters throughout the United States. Italian excellence travels, innovates, and leaves a profound mark on the global stage. You can find the first article here.
Thanks to this collaboration, William Liani has also become our new Ambassador to Italian Alumni in the United States.
An evangelist, Italian business developer, and relationship builder, William embraced We the Italians from its earliest conception and has always supported the idea behind it.
Born in Rome, Italy, he earned an engineering degree from Sapienza University of Rome and an MBA from LUISS Guido Carli University, where he actively serves on the leadership team of the LUISS Alumni New York Chapter. In his younger years, he was also a professional Italian ice hockey, roller hockey, and American football player. A business and partnership developer and strategist by vocation, he has applied his expertise across many different market sectors.
Our Ambassador family also welcomed another new member in July, once again within our group of thematic Ambassadors. We are particularly delighted to introduce Silvia Anna Zamarripa, our new Ambassador to Americans in Italy.
Silvia Anna Zamarripa, President of the American Club of Rome, is the founder and CEO of Purpose Bridge, a consulting firm that helps mission-driven organizations transform purpose into sustainable impact through stakeholder engagement and cross-sector collaboration.
Through the American Club of Rome, one of Italy’s most established American organizations, she promotes dialogue, cultural exchange, professional networking, and stronger ties between Italy and the United States. With experience spanning the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, she specializes in building strategic partnerships.
She also founded Global Youth Ambassadors, an initiative that empowers future leaders through mentorship, diplomacy, cultural exchange, and professional development.
Finally, last but certainly not least, I would like to highlight this month’s interview with Matteo Cerri, our Ambassador to Relocation to Italy. In my opinion, it is one of our most interesting interviews, featuring what is probably the leading expert on this increasingly important topic, especially as the number of Americans buying homes in Italy continues to rise. We will soon announce a new collaboration with Matteo focused on this very subject, which will bring an exciting project to life. Stay tuned.
AFine modulo
nd it doesn’t stop here! That’s why we ask you to subscribe to We the Italians.
It’s all for now. Please stay safe and take care, and enjoy our magazine and our contents on our website. Stay safe and take care: the future’s so bright, we gotta wear tricolor shades! A big Italian hug from Rome.
