For over one hundred years hundreds of thousands of Abruzzese left home, family, friends searching for a better future, and most never returned. Little Italies rose everywhere, and whenever I had the privilege to visit the many communities, their Abruzzese heritage strongly came to the surface. After the first decades of integration in their new land, they chose to maintain their Italian identity, and they continue to love their ancestral land. Our emigrants are the best ambassadors of Abruzzo, and they have a great experience of integration that can help us deal with our own immigration issues. All this will be central in next December's Emigration Conference in L'Aquila.

Bonnie Rulli and Sara Addario, daughters of Abruzzese who emigrated after WWII have set up a website on Lettomanoppello and Roccamorice. Affectionate tourists, they come back every year to their beloved Maiella. Their website has become a true passion through the messages left by the visitors and a pre-requisite for any visitor to the beatiful Maiella places, with maps, genealogical information, songs etc.

For the 10th anniversary of the twinship the official delegation met their colleagues in Australia and established details for a visit from the Australian Vastese - A Mass was celebrated in the presence of many Vastese from Perth, the San Michele Arcangelo association and the Circolo Vastese.

Criticism to the authorities for publishing two guides without mentioning the Museo Capitolare in Atri and such important spiritual locations as the Montesanto monastery in Civitella, the two churches of the Misericordia in Ancarano and Tortoreto, the San Massimo monastery in Torano, the church of San Martino in Nereto; also, only three lines for the Santuario della Madonna del Sabato Santo, Corropoli, where it is possible to obtain a jubilee pardon.

For pizza lovers tonight an exhibition of such world champion "pizzaioli" as Evandro Taddei (in the Guinness records), Umberto Napolitano, Dovilio Nardi who made for the Pope a Last Supper pizza. The event was organized by Marcella Frati of the Castello unito association.

The monument dedicated to Domenico Stromei in 1983 for his death's centenary, according to Eolo Di Giulio, 72, an artist and old Communist militant, says the bust does not represent the poet. Di Giulio asks for a more respectful treatment of the poet, a great revolutionary figure in the political struggle against oppression.

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