Pittsburgh is a city of bridges, around six hundred of them, spanning rivers and valleys, joining geographically separated neighborhoods. And on March 31, 2023, another bridge was erected in Pittsburgh joining its Italian and Italian-American communities to the nation of Italy. Istituto Mondo Italiano, led by the Executive Director Viviana Altieri, hosted the visit of Italian Consul General Dr. Cristiana Mele, the official representative of the Italian government based in Philadelphia.

The morning reception and seminar took place at Istituto Mondo Italiano's headquarters in Pittsburgh in Regent Square with the attendance of the members of the Pittsburgh's Italian community and representatives from the many businesses, healthcare organizations, cultural and educational institutions with connections to Pittsbugrh's Italian community.