#Insieme200/#Together200: Tell us your story!
Do you have personal experiences or stories that were passed on to you about historic events that occurred in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna or the Republic of San Marino? Were you a Mud Angel? Did you have relatives who worked with the American Red Cross during World War I or witnessed the 5th Army’s fight along the Gothic Line in World War II? Are you doing something now that is strengthening the U.S.-Italy partnership? If so, we’d love to hear from you!
The U.S. Consulate General in Florence is collecting stories in anticipation of the bicentennial of our diplomatic presence in Florence in 2019. Throughout that year, we hope to see a series of events across Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and the Republic of San Marino exploring all facets of our past, present, and future together. These commemorative events and related information will be highlighted on the Consulate’s social media platforms with the #Insieme200 (#Together200) hashtag.
Our 200 years here are built on a foundation of millions of personal and organizational ties, so we need your help to properly celebrate our bicentennial! If your organization has an idea for a 200th anniversary commemorative event—large or small—or wants to get involved with the events being organized by the Consulate, please let us know:CGFIProtocol@state.gov.
To receive updates on the Consulate’s 200th anniversary and more, join the Consulate’s community by liking its Facebook page @USCGFlorence or following on Twitter!
Travels along the Gothic Line
After the liberation of Rome on June 5, 1944, it took nearly 11 months of fighting before U.S. troops reached the Po River on April 22, 1945. This was the most intense historical period of interaction between Americans and local Italians and Sammarinesi, a period that generated millions of individual stories, some tragic and some joyful.
On the American side were hundreds of thousands of troops making their way north. On the Italian and Sammarinesi side were millions of soldiers fighting alongside the Americans and civilians trying to survive the chaos and carnage of war. Some of the most violent chapters of this story occurred along the so-called Gothic Line, the Nazi’s series of 2,000 fortified positions that ran through the mountains from Carrara to a point on the Adriatic south of Ravenna. As part of our bicentennial outreach, we recently visited two points along the Line: Carrara on the Ligurian Sea and Vernio in the Val di Bisenzio, north of Prato. In both cities, the memory of the Gothic Line and of the American and Allied troops who fought and died there remains vivid. In both cities, the local government is keen to develop educational materials and touristic itineraries to keep this memory alive for future generations. We look forward to working with both cities as they explore and explain this piece of our shared history.
Keep your passport safe!
Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in the summer are dreamy places full of history and magic. There are few things as wonderful as enjoying a bistecca Fiorentina or tortellini d’estate with friends or sipping an aperitivo as the summer sun sets behind the Apennines. One thing you don’t want to do is press pause on your vacation or daily routine to go apply for a new passport. At the U.S. Consulate General in Florence, we see people every day who have had their passport lost or stolen. Often (but not always) the story is the same and the theft or loss could have been avoided with some simple preventative measures. Here are three tips for protecting your passport this summer
1. Try not to carry it around with you everywhere you go. Most of the time, a copy is just as good—and much easier to replace!
2. Other than in a personal or hotel safe, try not to store it with other valuables. Passports are not usually the target. Keeping it in a purse or a camera bag (or even inside your luggage in your rental car) can put it at risk.
3. Don’t leave it behind! Get it back from the hotel right away when they make their copy. If you wait until you check out, you might forget to take it back.
