Every June 3, Italian Immigrant Day is celebrated, coinciding with the birth of Manuel Belgrano, one of the fathers of the Argentine homeland and son of an Italian immigrant. In the city of Corrientes and some of the Interior, different activities were scheduled to commemorate the date and on this occasion the 78th Anniversary of the creation of the Republic of Italy.
Thus, representatives of the Italian community in Corrientes met very early in the General Manuel Belgrano square to honor him on the day of his birth, which occurred on a day like today but in 1770, and then participated in an event in the Corrientes Legislature chaired by vice-governor and president of the Chamber of Senators, Pedro Braillard Poccard, as part of the “Luminarias” program.
After singing the Argentine National Anthem and the Anthem of the Republic of Italy, the Honorary Vice Consul of the Republic of Italy in Corrientes, Giovanni Salvatore Foglia, thanked the vice governor, remembered General Belgrano, a descendant of Italians, and the immigrants who came to Argentina, and also other countries, turning Italians into citizens of the world. In turn, Senator Sonia Quintana welcomed the entire community and highlighted the valuable contributions made by immigrants from Italy to the country and the province.
The Vice Governor, Senator Quintana, Vice Consul Foglia, were joined by the president of the Italian Society, Marta Beatriz Mezzi and members of the Board of Directors and the Society; the president of the Italian Association Piemontesa Family of Corrientes, Edgardo Gagliardone and members of the Association; the president of the Dante Alighieri Society of Corrientes, Giancarlo Perversi and members of the Society. Authorities and members of communities based in Corrientes, directors and staff of the areas of the provincial Legislative Branch.
LUMINAIRES
The provincial Legislature also honors the Italian community through the “Luminarias Program” of the Chamber of Senators, with the objective of distinguishing sister nations, neighboring countries, members of Mercosur and those that have consular representation in Corrientes or through communities, illuminating the façade of the Legislative Palace. In that sense we can see the front of the building illuminated in green, white and red, colors of the Italian flag, from the early hours of June 2.
THE ARRIVAL OF IMMIGRANTS
Italian immigrants arrived, for the most part, between 1860 and 1930, driven by seeking a new beginning in foreign lands while fleeing misery and famine, and settled in different parts of our country and contributed to the growth of Argentina.
