Ciao, Italia

The connections between Philadelphia and Italy run deeper than great cuisine, including influences on colonial architecture and politics. Andrea Canepari, Italy's consul general in the city, rightly wants to strengthen them with Ciao Philadelphia, the second annual monthlong celebration of Italo-Philadelphian links.

Held through October, this year's festival (ciaophiladelphia.com) is to include tours of Independence Mall and the Union League that highlight Italian contributions to American history. There will be food tastings throughout the city, scholarly lectures at St. Joseph's University, and performances of Verdi's La Traviata at the Academy of Music. There will be musical tributes to Italian Philadelphia's native son Mario Lanza and adopted son Frank Sinatra. The Art Museum's Renaissance collection and the Reading Public Museum's Italian futurists will be spotlighted. For car lovers, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum is showcasing its collection of racers from the likes of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Bugatti.

Current academic and economic collaborations between the region and Italy include a coming pediatric symposium and the recent Bucks County expansion of an Italian company specializing in pharmaceutical equipment sterilization. Furthering cultural ties can lead to more such collaborations.