About us
Let's help descendants of Italians living abroad rediscover their roots and support public and private bodies in developing projects dedicated to "roots tourism"..
Our experience stems from research and life paths abroad within Italian communities in the Americas and Europe, and has transformed over time into a concrete contribution to the birth and development of roots tourism in Italy, including through consultancy and collaboration with the national programme promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation..
We work to transform the memory of emigration into new opportunities for encounters, return, and the enhancement of local identities.
Re-rooting in Italy,
continuing to travel alongside Italian communities around the world.
The history of the association
Raíz Italiana was founded in 2017 following the win of the “PIN – Pugliesi Innovativi” Public Notice, promoted by the Department for Youth Policies of the Puglia Region. Over time, the project has evolved to become a structured association, based in Puglia and operating throughout the national territory.
The association was founded by Marina Gabrieli and Attilio Ardito, both from Puglia, along with Mariana Bobadilla, an Italo-Argentinian of Marche origins, who now resides in Puglia.
The project is based on direct and shared experience: the founders have lived and worked closely with Italian communities abroad, particularly in Argentina. This journey allowed them to gain a deep understanding of the needs, expectations, and the strong sense of identity that unites Italian descendants with their ancestral lands.
Raíz Italiana was born precisely from this awareness, with the aim of creating authentic connections between Italy and its communities around the world, valuing roots as a cultural, social, and tourism lever.