Papà del Gnoco, Verona’s iconic Carnival mask, flew to New York for the 80th Columbus Day celebration on Monday, October 14th. Over one million New Yorkers and tourists, including over 35,000 parade participants, gathered to celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. The parade featured 130 traditional Italian masks from 15 various regions of Italy, warmly received by Italian-American communities along 5th Avenue.
This initiative is part of the “roots tourism” project, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, specifically through the Italea project. Collaborators include the Associazione Veronesi nel Mondo, Italy Discovery, private sponsors promoting Made in Italy, and institutional partners from the participating Italian municipalities and regions.
There are approximately 3.37 million Italian or Italian-descendant residents in the New York area, making them the largest ethnic and linguistic group in this urban region, which includes Manhattan, Staten Island, Northern New Jersey, and Long Island. Italians constitute 16% of the area’s 21.2 million residents, representing the largest Italian community in the United States.
