Two councilors from the Autonomous Province of Trento, in northern Italy, are in Brazil to discuss the possibility of reopening the recognition of Italian citizenship to descendants of Trentino immigrants.
The visit takes place amidst the celebrations of 150 years of Trentino immigration to Brazil and includes three municipalities in Santa Catarina: Nova Trento, Rodeio and Rio dos Cedros.
Trip takes place during historic celebrations
This Thursday, the 4th, the program begins in Nova Trento, with a visit to the Sanctuary of Saint Paulina. The nun, born in 1865 in Vigolo Vattaro, is considered the patron saint of the Trentino people in Brazil.
In Rodeio, councilors Walter Kaswalder and Michele Malfer will visit the Museum of Customs and Traditions of the Trentino People and the San Michele Winery.
Debate on citizenship takes place in Rio dos Cedros
The main stage takes place in Rio dos Cedros, a city of about 11 inhabitants in the Itajaí Valley. The municipality was one of the main destinations for Trentino immigrants between 1875 and 1876.
There, Kaswalder and Malfer will discuss the revision of the provincial law regulating ties with Trentino immigrants abroad. The proposal under consideration seeks to pressure the Italian government to reopen citizenship to descendants of emigrants from the region. as informed by Italianism.
Since December 19, 2010, these descendants — whose ancestors were born in Austro-Hungarian territory before the Italian annexation in 1920 — have lost their right to citizenship through this route.
