It's estimated that there are over 100 million descendants of Italians worldwide, with some pushing this estimate to 250 million. Many people don't live in Italy, and perhaps have never been there, but they feel a deep love for their ancestors' country of origin.
The project "Municipalities in the World” was born with a specific mission: to reconnect Italian municipal administrations with their fellow citizens and with the descendants of emigrants around the world.
For millions of descendants of Italian emigrants, their connection to Italy is made up of fragments. A black-and-white photograph on the kitchen table, a difficult-to-pronounce surname, the name of a town. This bond is powerful, but often lacks a channel through which to express itself. Municipal administrations, for their part, want to reach that diaspora but lack the tools to do so systematically and consistently.
"Municipalities in the world" is that channel. And it is supported by the Italian.it ETS Foundation, which makes its entire communications infrastructure available to participating administrations:
- Italiani.it, the editorial platform that reaches over 2,5 million people worldwide every month—not casual traffic, but people actively searching for Italy, their roots, and their family's places of origin;
- italiani.it's social media channels: Facebook page and group, Instagram page, and many other social media profiles, with a consolidated community of Italians around the world and their descendants.
- The WhatsApp channel, which keeps our users updated in real time
- And many other new initiatives that you will discover in the coming months
Over time, Italiani.it has built an editorial team with experience writing for the diaspora, a network of collaborators spread across multiple countries, and an integrated distribution system across the web, social media, newsletters, and apps. The content produced—articles, videos, and interviews—is designed to inform those unfamiliar with the region, to excite those with roots there, and to inspire those considering a visit or return.
Most Italian municipalities, from the largest to the smallest, have extraordinary stories to tell: history, landscape, traditions, gastronomy, stories of emigration and return. What's missing is the ability to bring that story beyond national borders. Foundation italiani.it is signing memoranda of understanding with many municipalities that care about their relationships with their emigrants and want to organize themselves to reach them and be reached by them.
The result, over time, is an international digital presence that produces tangible effects: roots tourism, new residents, contacts with the diaspora, and attention from foreign media and institutions.
For many Italian municipalities, this is the first time they have a similar tool at their disposal, an infrastructure that transforms the history of a small town into a global narrative, reaching families in the diaspora in their own language.
Here are the first municipalities that have already joined the project, with many more to join soon: https://www.italiani.it/progetto-comuni-canale/comuni-nel-progetto/
Every country has a story worth telling. And there's a world out there waiting to hear it!
If you are Italian or descendant of Italian origin around the world, stay in touch with your country using this form: https://www.italiani.it/progetto-comuni-canale/contatti-per-comuni/You'll be among the first to receive updates on your country, be able to communicate directly with the administration, and much more!
