“Columbus's legacy is the subject of one of the most delicate debates in US society today”, said the Italian Ambassador Mariangela Zappia opening a two-days virtual workshop organized by the Consulate General and the Cultural Institute of Italy in New York.

“Today more than ever, we need to find a viewpoint which recognizes the suffering endured by Native Americans during the first European explorations and, at the same time, preserves the historical significance of the figure of Columbus, an explorer who opened new horizons and created bridges between civilizations”, added the Ambassador, encouraging to “look at Columbus Day celebrations and at those for "Indigenous Peoples' Day" as complementary, not opposed, and as two sides of the same coin which recognize and honor the roots of the formation of the United States of America”.