This Thursday, October 3rd, Piracicaba, in the interior of the State of São Paulo, opens the Monument to Italianness. The work pays homage to the Italian immigrants who helped shape the city.
Juliano Meneghel Dorizotto, president of Italian Società di Mutuo Soccorso, highlighted the strong connection between families and the project: “It was as if we had opened the doors and windows so that the emotions regarding ancestors could come to the surface with full force, as if they were there, kept in the hearts of families, just waiting for an opportunity to be awakened”, he told Piracicaba newspaper.
According to him, the project was immediately accepted. “When people heard about our intentions, they started calling us. They wanted to understand more about how they could participate. We had to get at least 120 signatures, with financial support, to produce the bronze work. We had 125 signatures and another hundred are waiting in line.”
Designed by the artist Palmiro Romani, the monument reflects the immigrants’ trajectory. “When I thought about the work, I intended it to be minimalist, because most Italians who came to Brazil arrived with just a suitcase in their hands. If the father died on the journey, it was the mother who carried it. If the mother and father died on the journey, it was the son who carried it. That’s why I thought it was impossible to summarize the image in just one specific person,” explains Romani.
The work, alluding to the 150 years of Italian immigration in Brazil, aims to preserve memory and strengthen Italian-Brazilian ties for future generations.
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