On Saturday, October 4, 2025, Nashville paid tribute to one of its remarkable Italian American figures – Primo Bartolini – with the unveiling of a historical marker at 511 Rep. John Lewis Way S. The ceremony, held at 1:00 p.m., celebrated the life of a man remembered as a patriot, World War I veteran, teacher, and poet. A rain date had been scheduled for the following day.
The event opened with welcoming remarks from Linda T. Wynn, then Chair of the Metro Nashville Historical Commission, and Matteo Brera, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Research Fellow at the University of Padua and Seton Hall University. Both reflected on Bartolini’s journey from his native Fanano, Italy, to his adopted home in Tennessee, where he became a respected voice for education and culture.
Several distinguished guests joined in the commemoration, including Christopher M. Caputo, Honorary Consul of Italy to Tennessee; Angie Emery Henderson, Vice Mayor of Nashville and President of the Metro Council; Stefano Muzzarelli, Mayor of Fanano; Kelley Sirko and Ken Fieth of the Nashville Metro Archives; and William J. Connell, La Motta Endowed Chair in Italian Studies and Interim Director of the Alberto Institute at Seton Hall University. Members of the Bartolini family were also present, making the moment especially meaningful.
The unveiling was made possible through the support of the European Commission – via the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – together with the University of Padua and Seton Hall University. Additional backing came from the Charles and Joan Alberto Italian Studies Institute and the La Motta Endowed Chair in Italian Studies at Seton Hall, as well as the Metro Archives and the Nashville Public Library Foundation. Institutional partners included the Metro Nashville Government, the Metro Historical Commission, the City of Fanano, the Honorary Consulate of Italy in Tennessee, and the Consulate General of Italy in Detroit.
The dedication served not only to honor Bartolini’s personal legacy but also to celebrate the broader contributions of Italian Americans to Nashville’s cultural and civic life – a story that continues to inspire new generations.
