For many years, sociologists, tourists, and researchers have written off Las Vegas for being a “fake” and “inauthentic” city — nothing more than a “theme park for adults.” After all, in a short walk, a Las Vegas tourist can visit an old Roman city, the Eiffel Tower, one of the Great Pyramids, a medieval castle, and New York City.

But for Marta Soligo — who was born, raised, and educated in Bergamo, Italy — a walk through the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and the Venetian offers insights on the “Italianness” that can be found in this American city some 6,000 miles away from her native country.