When memory crosses the ocean again
Every migration seems like a fracture: a departure, a farewell, a name inscribed in a register, and then a ship fading into the distance. Yet roots do not break; they extend.
The project is born from the collaboration with Luca Pastore and is dedicated to the documented reconstruction of the Italian origins of American personalities of Italian descent.
This is not just genealogical research.
It is the reweaving of memory.
It is the reconnection between diaspora and homeland.
Internationally significant cases
Ralph Macchio | Honorary Citizen of Villanova del Battista – Avellino
The research contributed to the recognition of the actor’s Irpinian roots. In April 2025, the town granted Macchio honorary citizenship and the keys to the city, in a public ceremony that represented a true symbolic return.
Welcomed as the “rediscovered son of Irpinia,” the actor shared with the community the emotion of walking in the places from which his ancestors departed. It was not just a media event, but a gesture of identity recognition.
Martin Scorsese | Honorary Citizen of Polizzi Generosa – Palermo, October 13, 2024
The director’s Sicilian roots lie in the towns of Polizzi Generosa and Ciminna, in the province of Palermo.
The bond with these places of origin was celebrated publicly through cultural initiatives and the granting of honorary citizenship.
In Scorsese’s case, the reconnection to his roots is not just genealogical: it is cultural, symbolic, and deeply intertwined with family memory and his artistic vision.
From Document to Institutional Recognition
The research work carried out by the team at genealogiafamiliare.it unfolds through:
- American and Italian civil records
- parish archives
- military documentation
- migration lists
- reconstruction of family lines
- preparation of documented genealogical dossiers
In this way, a path is traced that connects a small Italian town to a story that crossed the Atlantic.
Every document is a trace.
Every identified ancestor is a return.
Identifying the town of origin opens another path:
- dialogue with local administrations
- proposal for honorary citizenship
- public celebration of roots
- organization of a return journey to the homeland
Honorary citizenship does not alter legal status.
It recognizes a deep, indissoluble belonging.
In this context, genealogy becomes:
- a tool of cultural diplomacy
- a way to enhance Italian migratory heritage
- promotion of roots tourism
- strengthening the bond between diaspora and local communities
Every rediscovered root is not just about one person.
It is about a territory.