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Essays

Vol. 158 No. 3 (2025): Rendiconti. Class of Moral Sciences

Italian legacies around the world: the Italian heritage in Philadelphia and the promotion of the Italian community abroad

  • Andrea Canepari
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/rndoa2025oa22295
Submitted
marzo 24, 2026
Published
2026-05-28

Abstract

This article examines the Italian legacy in Philadelphia as a dynamic form of cultural heritage, soft power, and public diplomacy. Drawing on the author’s experience as former consul General of Italy in Philadelphia and ambassador to the Dominican Republic, and now as a professor of Practice at Penn State University, the article connects hands‑on diplomatic practice with academic reflection on the role of Italian communities abroad. The analysis explores how italicity – embracing Italian descendants, recent Italian professionals, and the many “friends of Italy”– creates a broad and inclusive cultural network. Through the case study of Ciao Philadelphia, a year‑long cultural initiative launched in 2014 to institutionalize and showcase Italian heritage across the region, the article illustrates how dispersed cultural assets can be mobilized into a cohesive narrative capable of generating academic, economic, and institutional opportunities. Additional references to similar work in the Dominican Republic demonstrate how Italy’s historic contributions abroad continue to produce contemporary relational capital. Ultimately, the article argues that the Italian presence overseas constitutes a strategic resource for strengthening Italy’s international image and expanding its soft‑power reach.

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