To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and TEHA Group presented the commemorative volume “From Liberty to Legacy: 250 Years of Italy-U.S. Relations. Across the Atlantic and Through the Generations” during the “Country Focus USA” session of the Forum “The European House – Ambrosetti’s Outlook on Today’s and Tomorrow’s Competitive Strategies,” held at Villa d’Este in Cernobbio from September 4 to 6, 2026.
The volume explores the historical, cultural, political, and economic foundations of one of the world’s strongest bilateral relationships. It examines how diplomacy, migration, trade, education, and shared democratic values gradually transformed relations between Italy and the United States into a strategic alliance of global significance.
From America’s founding to a strategic transatlantic partnership
The study shows that the relationship between Italy and the United States began long before the major waves of immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. Italian thought and intellectual traditions helped shape the political culture from which the United States emerged. Figures such as Gaetano Filangieri, Filippo Mazzei, and Cesare Beccaria influenced debates on both sides of the Atlantic about liberty, law, individual rights, and constitutional government.
Over the following 250 years, the relationship evolved through diplomatic recognition, expanding economic ties, postwar reconstruction, cooperation within NATO, and increasingly strong political connections.
Today, Italy and the United States remain leading strategic allies within the Atlantic community, working together in critical areas including security, innovation, energy, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, scientific research, and global governance.
The Italian American community: an enduring bridge across the Atlantic
One of the commemorative volume’s central themes is the historical and strategic role of the Italian American community.
From the late 19th century through the 20th century, approximately 5.7 million Italians immigrated to the United States. They played a decisive role in building American cities and developing the country’s industries, businesses, universities, research centers, cultural institutions, and public life.
Their descendants now number between 17 million and 18 million Americans, making them one of the country’s largest ancestry groups.
Across generations, Italian Americans have made extraordinary contributions to politics, business, science, culture, sports, and public service while maintaining strong connections to Italy and helping strengthen bilateral relations. The Italian American community continues to provide one of the most effective and enduring channels for dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
“We Italian Americans are fortunate because we have brought together the best of two worlds. On the one hand, we preserve the deepest values of the Italian tradition, including the central importance of family, solidarity, and strong personal relationships. On the other, we embrace some of the defining principles of American culture, such as patriotism, civic responsibility, and active participation in community life. This combination is precisely what makes us special: our ability to bring together and celebrate the best of both cultures, creating a rich, strong, and unique identity,” said Robert Allegrini, President and CEO of the National Italian American Foundation.
A relationship built on trade, investment, innovation, and knowledge
The study highlights the exceptional strength of today’s economic relationship between the two countries. The United States is:
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Italy’s second-largest export market worldwide and its largest export market outside Europe.
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One of the leading destinations for Italian foreign direct investment.
In 2025, Italian exports to the United States exceeded $78 billion, accounting for 10.8% of Italy’s total merchandise exports. Italy also maintained a substantial trade surplus with the United States, approximately $30.8 billion in 2025, demonstrating the competitiveness of its industrial sector.
More than 3,000 Italian-controlled companies operating in the United States employed over 135,000 workers in 2023. This was the highest employment figure among all host countries, ahead of Brazil, Germany, and China. Between 2013 and 2024, the stock of Italian direct investment in the United States increased from €23.4 billion to €72 billion, more than tripling over 11 years and recording a compound annual growth rate of approximately 10.8%.
The relationship extends well beyond trade to encompass advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, defense, digital technologies, food and agriculture, design, energy, and scientific cooperation.
Growing connections between communities
The study emphasizes that the strength of Italy–U.S. relations increasingly rests on exchanges among students, researchers, entrepreneurs, tourists, and cultural institutions.
Key findings include:
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During the 2023–24 academic year, more than 45,000 U.S. students studied in Italy, making it the world’s leading study abroad destination for American students.
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The United States is also a leading destination for Italian students. More than 6,700 Italian students currently study in the United States, over twice the 3,090 recorded in the 1997–98 academic year.
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Since 1929, Italian and Italian American artists have won 164 Academy Awards, including 34 in the Best Picture, Best Director, or Best International Feature Film categories. Italy holds the record for the most wins in the history of the International Feature Film category, with 14 awards.
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An analysis of Nobel Prizes awarded in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Economic Sciences between 1901 and 2025 highlights the crucial role of the transatlantic scientific relationship. All 16 Italian Nobel laureates examined had significant academic or professional ties to the United States, where many studied, conducted research, or developed the careers that led to their groundbreaking achievements.
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A systematic TEHA survey of the 100 largest U.S. cities by population identified 34 mayors with documented Italian ancestry, including partial ancestry, who served between 1901 and 2026 in 22 of today’s 100 largest cities. In other words, more than one in five of America’s largest cities has elected a mayor of Italian descent over the past century.
These exchanges continue to create new networks of knowledge, innovation, friendship, and mutual understanding, further strengthening the bond between the two countries.
“The relationship between Italy and the United States began long before the major waves of immigration, rooted in the ideas, values, and institutions that helped shape the American republic. Over time, these intellectual connections developed into a strong diplomatic, economic, and strategic partnership, while generations of Italian immigrants gave the relationship its deepest human dimension. The relationship between the two countries also rests on individual contributions and achievements. Across generations, Italians and Italian Americans have helped shape America’s institutions, economy, scientific progress, and cultural life, leaving a lasting mark on the country’s development and international influence,” said Lorenzo Tavazzi, Senior Partner, Head of International Development, and Board Member of TEHA Group.
Looking ahead: from shared heritage to shared leadership
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the commemorative volume concludes that relations between Italy and the United States have grown far beyond diplomacy alone.
What began as an exchange of ideas became a relationship shaped by migration, collaboration, economic integration, and cultural affinity. Today, the two countries face shared challenges ranging from geopolitical instability and technological competition to energy security and innovation.
The study identifies several areas where future cooperation can be strengthened:
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Transatlantic defense and security.
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Advanced manufacturing and industrial cooperation.
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Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
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Scientific and academic collaboration.
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The energy transition and sustainability.
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Cultural diplomacy and the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.
The publication emphasizes that the strength and continuity of Italy–U.S. relations rest not only on shared interests but also on a common history, a shared commitment to democracy and freedom, and the unique role of the Italian American community as a bridge between the two nations.
“As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, NIAF reaffirms its role as a leading voice for millions of Americans of Italian descent and as a bridge between two nations united by shared values and deep historical ties. Building on more than 50 years of work, the Foundation is committed to celebrating the extraordinary contributions of Italian Americans while advancing a forward-looking agenda in education, leadership, cultural diplomacy, and transatlantic cooperation. Through its Italian America 250 program, its partnerships in the United States and Italy, and its engagement with policymakers and future leaders, NIAF continues to turn cultural heritage into opportunity and strengthen U.S.–Italy relations for generations to come,” said John Calvelli, Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF).
