Daniel Hernando Devia Torres, 59, a Colombian from Bogotá, on July embarked on a journey with his wife Silvia Gutiérrez Vivía that was much more than a simple trip. They arrived in Italy to trace the steps of his great-great-great-grandfather Dioniso, who in 1830 had left the province of Imperia in search of fortune in South America. The experience was organized as part of the Italea project.

After an institutional meeting, Daniel and Silvia visited the Fondazione Casa America. There, the president Roberto Speciale and director Carlotta Gualco welcomed the Colombian couple and explained the activities of the cultural institution, which promotes political dialogue, economic and commercial relations, and cultural exchanges between Italy, the European Union, and the Americas. The Città di Genova Folklore Group also performed another traditional song, “Cose dixeiva a nonna,” and recounted the history of ancient trades’ costumes, from the “camallo” to the fisherman.

After tasting pesto and focaccia—unmissable specialties of Genoese cuisine—Daniel and Silvia continued their city tour to the Galata Museo del Mare. They walked through the historic center’s characteristic alleys and admired the San Lorenzo Cathedral and the Old Port. At MuMa, the travelers had the opportunity to explore the world of navigation, first focusing on Christopher Columbus, the Caravels, and the discovery of America, and then delving into the world of migrations, to which the museum dedicates an entire exhibition hall. Daniel’s journey in search of his roots then continued towards Imperia, to Lucinasco and Borgoratto.

«We have been searching for our roots for many years. We started our research on our own but then connected with Italea, and together we managed to organize this beautiful trip. We are very excited and can’t wait to discover as much as possible and then return home to tell our children and my father, who is 80 years old and couldn’t come with us to Italy, everything we have seen here,» explains Daniel Devia. «My dad always talked about my grandfather Cirillo and my great-grandfather. He thought they were originally from Bologna, but thanks to some studies, we later discovered they were Ligurian, which is why we are here today.»