Research Area
Italian Communities Abroad
Vanguards of Culture and Lifestyles
Research Area
Italian Communities Abroad. Vanguards of Culture and Lifestyles
Our Research
Vanguards of Italian Identity in the World
Italian communities abroad have always been a valuable asset for our country. They form a living, dynamic network that helps keep Italy at the center of the world. Every generation of Italian emigrants has brought with it not only professional skills and entrepreneurial abilities, but also a wealth of culture, values, and lifestyles that continue to serve as a point of reference in the societies where they live.
Primary Field of Intervention
Culture and Society
Secondary Field of Intervention
Agriculture and Territorial development
In this sense, Italians abroad – as well as foreigners interested in our culture, beginning with those who study in university departments abroad – are true ambassadors of Italian identity. Through their associations, entrepreneurial activities, cultural initiatives, and ties to their places of origin, they continuously spread and renew the image of Italy, conveying not only material excellence but also a way of life that combines creativity, conviviality, well-being, and attention to quality of life. Art, language, cuisine, fashion, design, music, and cultural tourism thus intertwine with a “way of living” that makes our country recognizable and appreciated everywhere.
High-quality Italian products can be powerful allies of these communities, bringing Italian cultural excellence to the world while also allowing Italy to absorb elements from other cultures, strengthening new cultural, social, and economic networks that keep our culture vibrant and dynamic.
Agri-food: A World of Italian Excellence made of the infinite local diversities
Within this framework, agri-food rightfully holds a central place. Traditional Italian products – olive oil, wine, pasta, cheese, and all the other globally recognized excellences – are much more than mere consumer goods: they are true cultural symbols. They tell the stories of regions, local communities, agricultural landscapes, and family traditions, becoming tools for dialogue and exchange among peoples.
Every Italian community abroad, through its restaurants, shops, festivals, and communication initiatives, safeguards the authenticity of these products and helps make a shared heritage out of a dietary model – the Mediterranean diet – that is synonymous with health, sustainability, and quality.
Nowhere Everywhere: A Network of Relationships that Redefines Territories
At the same time, communities abroad are not only cultural bridges but also help redefine their places of origin by using and promoting Italian products. When olive oil, wine, and countless other agri-food products – as well as fashion and design – circulate and gain recognition in international markets, they not only sustain Italy’s image worldwide but also restore new centrality and identity to the regions they come from.
This is the perspective of the “Viareggio Futura” project: a concrete example of how local innovation and regeneration intertwine with global networks of communities, users, and promoters of Italian culture. What originates from local experience thus becomes shared heritage, strengthening ties to roots while opening new forms of sustainable and participatory development. A territory constantly rewritten by this network of people, products, and services – which is why we coined the phrase “Nowhere, Everywhere.”
Italy Living Elsewhere: Experiences, Exchanges, and New Connections
An increasingly central role in this context can also be entrusted to people who come to Italy to study, train, or simply to discover our country. Their experience should not end with their stay: once they return home, they can themselves become carriers of Italian identity, renewing and sharing food practices, cultural habits, lifestyles, and values learned during their time here.
In this way, Italy not only attracts and welcomes, but also revives its culture in other contexts, creating new connections and fueling a virtuous circle of exchanges and cross-cultural influences that enrich both Italian communities and host societies.
Teaming Up to Address Current Challenges
In a historical moment marked by major international challenges – economic, commercial, and environmental – this role becomes even more strategic. Italian communities can be not only guardians of their origins but true multipliers of opportunities: promoting tourism to Italy, stimulating cultural and business exchanges, enhancing Made in Italy in all its forms, and building bridges between countries and cultures.
From this arises the idea of further strengthening this bond, creating networks capable of working as a system on a global scale. Supporting the export of Italian products while telling the story of an Italy that represents widespread culture, a supportive community, and a promoter of quality of life. Olive oil, wine, and other agri-food excellences thus become part of a broader narrative: that of a country able to innovate without losing its roots, transmit shared values, and offer the world a model of development and coexistence based on beauty, health, and conviviality.
Projects
Viareggio Futura
In collaborazione con:
This project won the public call issued by the Municipality of Viareggio to conduct a participatory study aimed at developing a strategic project for the enhancement and growth of the city. The study seeks to shape a vision that values the tangible and intangible heritage distinguishing the Viareggio area.
This extraordinary resource requires planning capable of addressing the present with a long-term strategy. For this to happen, it is necessary to go beyond the simple logic of analyzing and optimizing the city’s strengths and opportunities: the future must not be a mere projection of the present, but a creative exercise that gives rise to something new, to unexplored possibilities.
Oil and Wine: Building Bridges Between Italy and America
The project aims to enhance Italian agri-food as an integral part of national identity. Through the involvement of Italian communities, the goal is to build global networks in which olive oil, wine, and other excellences are not merely exported products but cultural symbols, tools of connection between people and cultures, and ambassadors of well-being, sustainability, and the Italian Lifestyle.