une 2, 2025 – New York City
For Italian Americans, few nights have carried the same pride and emotion as the one just celebrated at the Glasshouse in Manhattan. On the evening of June 2nd, over 1,400 guests gathered to honor Italy’s Festa della Repubblica — not just a national holiday, but a symbol of identity, resilience, and shared heritage.
Hosted by the Consulate General of Italy in New York, the event was the largest Republic Day celebration ever held in the United States, and a powerful reminder of the deep cultural and emotional ties that connect Italian Americans to their roots.
For those less familiar, Festa della Repubblica marks the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946, when the people of Italy voted to end the monarchy and begin a new democratic chapter. Today, it’s a time to reflect on Italy’s values — and for Italians abroad, a chance to renew their connection to the motherland.
The evening opened with the Italian and American anthems, beautifully sung by students from La Scuola d’Italia Guglielmo Marconi, a bilingual school that continues to nurture the next generation of Italian-American voices.
The room was soon captivated by the grace of Martina Arduino and Marco Agostino, principal dancers from Teatro alla Scala in Milan, performing a specially commissioned ballet titled Ancóra, choreographed by Marco Pelle.
Opera lovers were treated to unforgettable arias from Verdi, Puccini, and Leoncavallo, performed by voices from the New York City Opera. Then came Broadway star Melissa Errico, who lit up the stage with her jazz trio — closing her set with New York, New York, drawing the entire room into a joyful chorus.
The night was about more than just spectacle. It was about community. About reminding ourselves that being Italian American is not just about ancestry — it’s about culture, language, family, and the values we carry forward.
Special thanks go to the Consul General Fabrizio Di Michele, the teams at DINN! and WEMWORKS, the Teatro alla Scala, and the nearly 70 sponsors who made the event possible.
As we sang, danced, and reconnected, one truth stood out: when Italians come together, there’s nothing we can’t do.
