by InTrieste
As Italy’s government prepares to convert a controversial law decree on citizenship, the Friuli Venezia Giulia region is urging lawmakers to reconsider. Regional officials argue that the law, which significantly restricts eligibility for Italian citizenship by descent, risks severing long-standing ties with communities abroad—many of whom have ancestral roots in this borderland region.
“Over the years, we’ve invested heavily in programs to maintain connections with our diaspora,” said the Regional Councilor for Immigration. “These efforts could now help address our demographic challenges by encouraging the return of young workers who share our cultural values.”
But for individuals like Mark Riccardi, a Colorado native and U.S. Army veteran, the new decree has shut the door on a deeply personal journey.
Riccardi, whose great-grandparents were from Castelfranci near Avellino, spent four years gathering documents to support his citizenship claim. After being rejected by the Chicago consulate due to a technicality under the previous rules, he shifted his application to the so-called “1948 case” route—a legal pathway through the Italian courts.
Just as his case was ready for submission, the government issued the new decree, effectively halting his efforts.
“I can’t form that bond that my father and I hoped for,” Riccardi told InTrieste. “He never knew his father, never really understood his Italian roots. This was a way to reconnect—not just for me, but for him too.”
Riccardi visited Castelfranci with his family in recent years and was able to locate the church where he believes his grandparents met. “It was emotional. We saw where they likely lived, where they worked the land. It made everything feel real.”
He views the new law as a lost opportunity—not just for his family, but for Italy.
“There are so many people who want to reconnect with their heritage, contribute to the culture, invest in the economy. Why would you close the door on that?”
The debate now moves to the Italian Parliament, where lawmakers will decide whether the decree becomes permanent. For many in the Italian diaspora, the outcome will determine whether their long-held dream of reclaiming their roots remains alive—or ends at the border.
