Sorbello Foundation

Sorbello Foundation The “Romeyne Robert and Uguccione Sorbello Foundation is a charitable 501(c)(3) educational organization, formed in 2012.

It supports the forging of cultural bridges between the United States and Italy through research in the arts and humanities, thus honoring the legacy of Romeyne Robert (1878-1941) and her son Uguccione di Sorbello (1906-1969). It supports the activities of the “Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello”, a sister organization, in Italy, based in Piazza Piccinino 9, Perugia, Umbria (Italy), which, among its

many cultural activities, manages two important museum sites in Perugia: the Palazzo Sorbello House Museum (Casa Museo di Palazzo Sorbello) and the Etruscan Well (Pozzo Etrusco). Both of them, in different ways, are of great cultural and artistic importance and have become tourist landmarks in Perugia and more widely in Central Italy.

It’s easy to say “May”… but it doesn’t mean the same thing everywhere.If you’re Italian, you might think of May as a tra...
05/19/2026

It’s easy to say “May”… but it doesn’t mean the same thing everywhere.
If you’re Italian, you might think of May as a transitional month. If you’re American, in many cases, it already feels like summer.

In Italy, May is traditionally a time of anticipation. The weather begins to warm across the peninsula and, as we mentioned in a previous post, this early heat often appears in folk sayings. The days grow longer, but the weather can still feel uncertain, suspended somewhere between spring and summer.

Even social life reflects this gradual shift: one of the most beloved rituals is the aperitivo outdoors at sunset, at the small neighborhood bar.
In the United States, on the other hand, May marks a more decisive change. Climate differences between North and South are significant, but culturally the month signals a clear shift in pace.
It’s the start of travel season, festivals, and outdoor activities, things that, in Italy, are more strongly associated with June and July.

It’s not just about the weather, it’s a difference in perception, in habits, in the way people relate to time itself.

Even in this, you can see how cultures express their differences: in how they experience climate, seasons, and the rhythm of everyday life.

The moment has come!Applications are now open again for the new 2026 Sorbello Fellowship.As you may already know, the Ro...
05/15/2026

The moment has come!
Applications are now open again for the new 2026 Sorbello Fellowship.

As you may already know, the Romeyne Robert and Uguccione Ranieri Fellowship Grant is designed to promote and support high-quality research and scholarly work on the political, historical, economic, and cultural relationship between Italy and the United States, including public and private networks, institutions, and individuals.

The application deadline is October 12, 2026.
We encourage all eligible candidates to apply and take part in this outstanding opportunity.

Don’t miss this chance to grow, learn, and make a difference.

For more information on eligibility and the application process, please visit www.sorbellofoundation.org/fellowship
or contact us at [email protected]

Is it a good idea to rely on folk wisdom? Whether it is or not, in Italy it’s still very common, and there’s no better w...
05/10/2026

Is it a good idea to rely on folk wisdom? Whether it is or not, in Italy it’s still very common, and there’s no better way to capture a culture’s mindset and shared beliefs than through its traditional sayings.

So what do Italian proverbs say about the month of May?
May is, by definition, the month when warm weather begins to arrive. Many sayings celebrate abundance and the deep connection to the land and its harvest.

For example:
“Mud in May, ears of wheat in August” (“Fango di maggio, spighe d’agosto”), or
“A dry and sunny May brings plenty of affordable grain” (“Maggio asciutto e soleggiato, molto grano a buon mercato”).

Each reflects a strong bond with the rhythms of nature.
And of course, this is Italy, where saints often find their way into everyday expressions.

On May 10, for instance, people once used to say:
“On Saint Cataldo’s Day, the cold disappears and the heat arrives” (“Il giorno di S. Cataldo, sparisce il freddo e arriva il caldo”).

So, has the real warmth finally arrived in the Land of the Sun?
Maybe we should ask our friends at Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello … or take a look at their latest posts to find out.

05/06/2026

There is an invisible thread that weaves together memory, nature, and identity.
It is indigo.
At Palazzo Sobrello, the exhibition “Indigo Love – The Thought of Water” by Chigusa Kuraishi has been on view since March 28, guiding visitors through a deeply immersive and sensory journey.

In the video, the artist shares the origins of a project born from an intimate connection with indigo, a color that becomes living matter, cultivated, harvested, and transformed in harmony with the rhythms of nature. A slow process that is an integral part of the artwork itself.
It is also an intercultural project, traveling from the artist’s homeland to Italy.

Water, the central element of the exhibition hosted at the Pozzo Etrusco, is not directly represented, but rather evoked.
The exhibition is also part of the celebrations marking 160 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan, strengthening a cultural dialogue that flows across time, material, and tradition.
If you’re in Italy, you can visit it until May 31.

Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello Antonella Valoroso
05/04/2026

Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello Antonella Valoroso

Did you know that Italy and the United States celebrate workers on two different dates?In the U.S., Labor Day was establ...
05/04/2026

Did you know that Italy and the United States celebrate workers on two different dates?
In the U.S., Labor Day was established in the late 19th century as a national holiday to honor American workers and to mark the symbolic end of summer.

In Italy, however, Labour Day is celebrated on May 1st, in line with European traditions and the 19th-century labor movement.
The origins are quite different, especially from a socio-political perspective, and the celebrations vary too. In Italy, May 1st is often spent with friends at festivals, concerts, or picnics, while in the U.S., it’s all about travel and barbecues.

In Italy, the day is also rich in symbolism. It’s both a moment of remembrance and a call for continued social progress.

Traditionally, it’s marked by protests, parades, and cultural events. Without a doubt, the most iconic is the “Concertone” in Rome.

Literally meaning “big concert,” the Concertone del Primo Maggio is a massive free music festival held every year in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano.

Have you ever been?

What does “liberation” look like on opposite sides of the Atlantic?It depends on the story a country tells itself.In Ita...
04/25/2026

What does “liberation” look like on opposite sides of the Atlantic?
It depends on the story a country tells itself.

In Italy, Festa della Liberazione, celebrated on April 25, is a day of memory before celebration. It marks the end of Nazi-fascist occupation in 1945 and is deeply tied to the history of the Resistance.

Cities fill with ceremonies, commemorations, and processions where past and present meet, often in a reflective, sometimes solemn tone. Liberation, here, is something to be remembered collectively, almost as a civic responsibility.

In the United States, the closest parallel is Independence Day.
But the atmosphere shifts.

July 4th is vibrant and extroverted, marked by fireworks, parades, and gatherings. Rather than recalling a recent, lived conflict, it celebrates the founding moment of the nation in 1776, freedom as an origin story, more than a memory to process.

Two ways of marking freedom: one rooted in remembrance, the other in affirmation.

And yet, beneath these differences, the same need emerges, to give meaning to the idea of being free, each culture in its own language.

When did we really start caring about the environment?Earlier than we might think.The story of Earth Day begins in the U...
04/22/2026

When did we really start caring about the environment?
Earlier than we might think.

The story of Earth Day begins in the United States, in the late 1960s, marked by a pivotal moment: the 1969 fire of the Cuyahoga River, caused by severe industrial pollution.

From that moment, environmental awareness began to take shape, leading to the first Earth Day in 1970, a collective awakening that brought ecology into public and political conversation.
And yet, even before these global movements took hold, there were voices who had already understood what was at stake.

Among them was Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello who, in 1959, openly denounced the widespread cutting of roadside trees across Italy in the name of modern traffic safety, describing it as a “death sentence” for the landscape.

His words read today like a quiet prophecy, rooted not only in aesthetics, but in a deep awareness of the relationship between human life, nature, and territory.

His commitment continued in Perugia, where he opposed construction projects that threatened the balance between architecture and environment, defending the integrity of the landscape long before sustainability became a shared vocabulary.

Looking back, it becomes clear that environmental consciousness is not just a modern urgency, but a thread connecting generations, woven through intuition, responsibility, and care for the world around us.

Emanuele Nidi’s journey in the United States has come to an end! His final research stop was New York City, where he vis...
04/17/2026

Emanuele Nidi’s journey in the United States has come to an end! His final research stop was New York City, where he visited the New York Public Library and, in particular, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, one of the world’s most important archives dedicated to African American history and culture.

There, he was able to examine and delve into valuable materials on key figures in his research, such as Caterina Jarboro, Lillian Evanti, and Leonard De Paur, along with other African American musicians active between Europe and the United States during the interwar period.

What made this experience truly unique was engaging with audio and video recordings, interviews from the 1970s and 1980s that preserve the direct voices of artists from the 1930s.

For Emanuele, listening to these testimonies was not only moving, but also a practical application of his research method, leading to concrete results: the experience allowed him to clarify biographical details, reformulate questions, and open up new perspectives.

Sometimes, to truly understand history, you have to be able to listen to it.

This journey may be over, but the questions will continue to resonate in Emanuele’s mind, leading to new ideas, new findings, and certainly new research.

-
NYPL The New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library

How many stories are hidden within one of New York’s most iconic bridges?The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, crossed by milli...
04/15/2026

How many stories are hidden within one of New York’s most iconic bridges?
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, crossed by millions of people every year, has a complex and fascinating history.

In her book “A Bridge for Giovanni da Verrazzano. Stories of Cultural Diplomacy from Greve in Chianti to New York,” Antonella Valoroso retraces the story of the rediscovery of the navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano in the 20th century, and the journey that transformed him from a nearly forgotten Tuscan explorer into a symbol of Italian pride overseas.

It’s a story that weaves together migration, cultural recognition, and the relationship between Italy and the United States.

Two new opportunities to explore this story will take place in Florence and Perugia this April, a meaningful choice, as April 17 is celebrated as Verrazzano Day in both Italy and the United States.

The first is the book presentation in Florence on April 16 at 4:30 PM at the Florence Rowing Club (Circolo Canottieri Firenze), on the eve of Verrazzano Day. The author, Antonella Valoroso, will be present, followed by the launch of a coxed eight named after Giovanni da Verrazzano.

Then, on Wednesday, April 22 at 4:00 PM, a second presentation will be held in Perugia at Palazzina Valitutti (Room A), at the University for Foreigners of Perugia, within the Department of Italian Language, Literature and Arts in the World, as part of the Master’s degree program in Italian for Teaching to Foreigners (ItaS). Students, experts, and enthusiasts will take part.

These will be moments of exchange and reflection on how culture can build lasting connections between places and communities.

If you’re in Florence, Perugia, or nearby, this is a chance to discover a story that is little known but deeply relevant today.

-
Antonella Valoroso
Università per Stranieri di Perugia
Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello

Have you ever experienced Perugia beyond its streets, stepping into its hidden layers of culture?During the days of the ...
04/15/2026

Have you ever experienced Perugia beyond its streets, stepping into its hidden layers of culture?
During the days of the , when voices, stories, and perspectives from around the world converge in the historic center, the city reveals another dimension.

Here, places like Palazzo Sorbello and the Pozzo Etrusco invite visitors to slow down and encounter history through space, matter, and memory.

The exhibition “Indaco Amore. Il Pensiero dell’Acqua,” conceived for the underground architecture of the well, transforms water into a narrative element.
Alongside it, the permanent collections of Palazzo Sorbello continue to unfold the layered stories of the city and its identity.

In moments like these, between a talk and a walk, culture becomes not just something to attend, but something to inhabit.

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