HISTORY

This vision is rooted in my international experience.
It all began in 2023 with COME-BACK, a digital platform created to map the Gonzaga family's cultural treasures around the world. The initiative was supported by Vittorio Sgarbi, Undersecretary of Italy's Ministry of Culture.
In 2024, the project evolved into AroundME, expanding its mission to map Italy's cultural legacy here in New York. Dr. Maria Bina Palmisano, Coordinator of the COMITES USA, immediately recognized its potential and proposed integrating Italian family roots into the platform. Together, we presented the project to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), which, together with GlobalMedia, co-funded it as a Special Project, recognizing it as an outstanding model that brings together culture, memory, and innovation.
In 2025, we unveiled the first pilot version at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C. The response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Today, the platform is fully operational and continues to evolve.

Now, at the Consulate General of Italy in New York, we are launching the New York expansion of the project.
Our goal is to build a collaborative digital map of Italian heritage—bringing together institutions, cultural organizations, museums, universities, and media partners to strengthen the sense of belonging within the Italian-American community while deepening its connection with the United States.
With a simple tap, users can explore an interactive map filled with the stories, traditions, and contributions of Italians in America.

Technology becomes a time machine, connecting us to stories of Italian creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship, while allowing users to travel virtually to the small Italian towns where those stories first began. To make the experience even more engaging, we have integrated Augmented Reality, offering exclusive interactive content. Imagine viewing the Alfa Romeo driven by legendary Mantuan racing champion Tazio Nuvolari to victory in the Vanderbilt Cup, then instantly connecting to his museum in Mantua. Or discovering the fascinating story of Angela and Luciana Giussani, creators of the iconic Italian comic Diabolik, still published today. During their visits to New York, they photographed the city's streets and perspectives to inspire the artists illustrating their stories back in Italy.

We have also developed a cloud-based content management platform that enables our partners to independently create and manage their own content. Italian language schools and universities, including institutions such as Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, will actively engage students in researching and documenting local Italian heritage. Local organizations will also play a direct role in expanding the map through a new feature that allows them to record and upload their own audio and video interviews, creating opportunities for local collaboration and workforce development.

With the launch of New York, the platform officially becomes part of the broader TracingITALIANroots network, joining Washington, D.C., with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago already scheduled to launch...

Today, the platform already includes approximately 1,000 curated heritage entries and more than 50 hours of bilingual audio guides.
This project is far more than a digital map. It is a living map of Italian heritage.
Through its partnership with Italea and Italy's Roots Tourism initiative, we are not only preserving memory, we are inspiring descendants to reconnect with their ancestral hometowns. And for those who cannot make the journey, technology allows Italy to come to them.

The web app is freely accessible to everyone (LINK).