This illustration aims to celebrate the Italian presence in the world through some cities that are symbols of Italian emigration.
Cities in which Italian migrants have settled over time and created communities.
They created "Little Italys".
The most famous Little Italy was born in New York. Located in Manhattan, today it is inhabited by around 2000 people, and in recent years it has become increasingly "little" to the detriment of the growth of Chinatown , the neighborhood of the Chinese community.
Sao Paulo's Little Italy has more than a hundred years of history. Suffice it to say that one of the largest Brazilian football teams, Palmeiras, was founded in Sao Paulo by Italian migrants in 1914 and that already in 1920 there were over 1 million Italians living in the State of Sao Paulo. Even today, the population of Italian origin represents a third of the total population of the State. Little Italy is located in Bixiga and Mooca and is among the largest in the world. The Feast of San Gennaro is still deeply felt and attracts 200,000 visitors every September.
Italians have also emigrated in large numbers to Australia, and in Sydney they have mostly settled in the suburb of Leichhardt. In Sydney's Little Italy you can still breathe the air of Italy, just take a trip to the Cafe Sport, where you hear Italians speaking louudly and watch football matches on TV. The Italian Forum, in Norton Street, is the cultural and commercial center of Italians in Sydney.
The very strong bond that binds Italy to Argentina was also seen during the 2022 World Cup final, when the Italians supported the Argentines more than the French.
Buenos Aires is one of those cities that welcomed numerous Genoese and Sicilian migrants, who first settled in La Boca. Cocoliche, a mix of Italian and Spanish, was born here.
More than 366 thousand Italians live in London. A community that has doubled in size in the city in the last 10 years but which has its roots already in the early 1800s in the area between Clerkenwell Road, Farringdon Road and Roseberry Avenue, which over time has become London's Little Italy. Economic, cultural and spiritual centre, with the foundation of the Church of San Pietro in 1845 thanks to Italian financiers including Giuseppe Mazzini.
Toronto has become a renowned multicultural city thanks also to its Italian community, gathered around College Street. Toronto's Little Italy boasts the only Italian Walk of Fame, a tribute to the achievements of Italians both locally and internationally. It is one of the most lively and multi-ethnic areas of the city, where Italian-Canadians account for over 30% of the population of the metropolitan city.
Italians are continuing to emigrate to cities and places that are different from the past. Who knows what the new Little Italys will be in a few years.
