"An opportunity to highlight the educational and formative value of studying past emigration, to foster greater awareness of the experiences of contemporary migrants." These are the words of Patrizia Di Luca, director of the Emigration Research Center at the University of San Marino, commenting on the visit of Guido Cerboni, Italian Ambassador to San Marino, recorded last Friday at the center's headquarters. "It was a significant meeting, especially because emigration has been an experience shared by San Marino citizens and Italians for over a century," the director explains. "One example is the inclusion in the contingent assigned to Italy, before San Marino had its own emigration quotas, of Sammarinese who left for the United States of America and the mines of Belgium. This part of San Marino's history," Di Luca continues, "has elements in common with Italian emigration, as Sammarinese and Italians shared motivations, destinations, and journeys. Furthermore, the shared language and similar lifestyles have fostered a close bond between the two communities abroad. For these reasons, the Emigration Research Center and the Emigrant Museum are included in the educational programs of both San Marino and Italian schools. During his visit, the ambassador also took an interest in the communities of Sammarinese living abroad, particularly those present in Italy."
