Sorbello Foundation

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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.

10/23/2026

– values
While we wait to discover the 2026 Sorbello Fellows, let us go back to the beginning: why did we create the Fellowship in the first place?

The Romeyne Robert and Uguccione Sorbello Fellowship does not simply fund research. It supports scholars investigating a specific and still underexamined field: the deep, complex, and multifaceted relationship between Italy and the United States.

We are particularly interested in research exploring:
• Cultural diplomacy
• Transatlantic intellectual networks
• Women’s entrepreneurship
• Artistic and literary exchanges
• Economic and social relationships

Each project we support contributes to a richer understanding of the history connecting Italy and the United States - a history shaped by migration, ideas, cultural encounters, personal relationships, and social transformation.
The Fellowship is open to researchers of any nationality who hold a PhD in the humanities, social sciences, economics, or the arts, with priority given to early-career researchers.

As we prepare to announce the new Fellows, we look forward to sharing the research that will add new perspectives to this ongoing story.

Because understanding the connections between two countries also means discovering the people, ideas, and stories that have shaped them.

10/13/2026

Last week, the Sorbello Foundation was proud to bring the story of Giovanni da Verrazzano, and the cultural diplomacy surrounding his legacy, across the Atlantic through a series of events in Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Stony Brook.

On October 5, Dr. Antonella Valoroso and Luigi Giovanni Cappellini, President of the Fondazione Giovanni da Verrazzano, presented Verrazzano’s story at Delaware Technical Community College in Wilmington. On October 6, they continued the conversation at the Free Library of Philadelphia , exploring the navigator’s legacy and the enduring historical ties between Italy and the United States.

On October 8, Dr. Valoroso presented the book Un ponte per Giovanni da Verrazzano (A Bridge for Giovanni da Verrazzano) at the Center for Italian Studies at Stonybrook University , retracing the fascinating and complex history behind the naming of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and the role of Italian-American cultural diplomacy in commemorating the navigator.

At the heart of this journey lies the legacy of Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello, whose dedication to preserving and promoting Verrazzano’s memory helped foster cultural understanding and strengthen ties between Italy and the United States.

The Sorbello Foundation extends its heartfelt thanks to the Fondazione Giovanni da Verrazzano, Delaware Technical Community College, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Center for Italian Studies at Stony Brook University for their collaboration and warm hospitality.

We are equally grateful to all those who attended, shared their insights, and helped make these encounters meaningful opportunities for dialogue and cultural exchange.

These events reaffirm the importance of international partnerships in bringing historical research, cultural memory, and shared heritage to new audiences.

By revisiting the past, we continue to discover new ways to connect our two countries and carry their shared stories into the future.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey across the Atlantic. We look forward to continuing to build bridges between Italy and the United States through history, research, and cultural diplomacy.

10/12/2026

Applications for the 2026 Romeyne Robert and Uguccione Sorbello Fellowship are still open, but the deadline is approaching.

Could your research help us understand a connection between Italy and the United States?

The Sorbello Fellowship supports original research on the historical, political, economic, social, and cultural relationships between Italy and the United States. We welcome projects that explore the people, institutions, communities, ideas, and networks that have shaped the connections between the two countries.

If your research explores the many ways Italy and the United States have influenced, encountered, and connected with one another, we encourage you to apply.

Application deadline: October 12, 2026.

Find eligibility requirements and application guidelines at sorbellofoundation.org/fellowship.

And if you know a researcher whose work belongs in this conversation, share this post with them.

10/07/2026

Another stop in New York is coming up!
Tomorrow, October 8, Dr. Antonella Valoroso will be at the Center for Italian Studies at Stony Brook University to present "Un ponte per Giovanni da Verrazzano" (A Bridge for Giovanni da Verrazzano), a book that retraces the complex story behind the naming of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The event is hosted in collaboration with the Center for Italian Studies , a valued partner of the Sorbello Foundation in promoting Italian studies, research, and cultural exchange between Italy and the United States.

At the heart of the book is Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello and his efforts to strengthen cultural and diplomatic relations between Italy and the United States through the rediscovery and promotion of Giovanni da Verrazzano’s legacy.

The presentation is also an opportunity to connect this history with the work of the Sorbello Foundation today: supporting research, preserving historical memory, and creating opportunities for cultural exchange across the Atlantic.

Join us at Stony Brook and discover a story in which a monument becomes much more than a bridge: a story of connections between two countries, their histories, and their people.

10/05/2026

Today and tomorrow, October 5 and 6, Dr. Antonella Valoroso and Luigi Giovanni Cappellini, President of the Fondazione Giovanni da Verrazzano , will bring the story of Giovanni da Verrazzano to Wilmington and Philadelphia.

The two events are part of the ongoing partnership between the Sorbello Foundation and the Fondazione Giovanni da Verrazzano, bringing together research, historical memory, and cultural diplomacy across the Atlantic.

On October 5, they will be at Delaware Technical Community College in Wilmington . On October 6, the journey continues at the Free Library of Philadelphia . At both events, they will present the story of the navigator and explore the cultural diplomacy that grew around his memory.

At the heart of this story is Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello, whose commitment to Verrazzano’s legacy helped build a cultural and diplomatic bridge between Italy and the United States, one that continues to connect people, institutions, and shared histories today.

Two cities. One historical journey. And a partnership that brings the work of the Sorbello Foundation and the Fondazione Giovanni da Verrazzano across the Atlantic.

Follow us to discover where history will take us next.

-
Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia

09/29/2026

Applications are still open for the 2026 Sorbello Fellowship,but the deadline is approaching!

The Romeyne Robert and Uguccione Ranieri Fellowship Grant supports outstanding research on the historical, political, economic, social, and cultural relationship between Italy and the United States.

The Fellowship welcomes projects that explore the connections between the two countries through institutions, communities, networks, and individuals, encouraging innovative and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Application deadline: October 12, 2026

We warmly encourage all eligible scholars to apply and become part of our growing international community of researchers.

For eligibility requirements and application guidelines, visit:�www.sorbellofoundation.org/fellowship
[email protected]

We look forward to receiving your application and welcoming the next Sorbello Fellow!

09/24/2026

A few moments from “Tastes of Language: Past and Present Italian Culinary Discourse in Anglophone Contexts”, the international conference held at Sapienza Università di Roma.

The event brought together researchers to explore the ways Italian culinary culture has been translated, represented, and negotiated in English-speaking contexts, opening a fascinating dialogue between food, language, history, and cultural identity.

On September 18, our senior researcher Dr. Antonella Valoroso represented the Sorbello Foundation with her presentation, “Translating Taste: Italian Culinary Discourse in The Italian Scene (1953–1969)”, focusing on The Italian Scene, the English-language cultural bulletin directed by Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello.

The conference also offered an opportunity to continue the conversation in a more convivial setting, with a w**e tasting celebrating Italian culinary culture.

We are happy to share some photographs from the event and from a day dedicated to the cultural connections between Italy and the United States.

09/21/2026

On March 20 and 21, 2023, Perugia hosted the first edition of the Biennial Sorbello Conference, organized by the Sorbello Foundation, the Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello, the University for Foreigners of Perugia , and the John D Calandra Italian American Institute .

The theme was “Cultural Exchanges between Italy and the United States.”

The event brought together two days of sessions, presentations, and interdisciplinary dialogue among scholars and experts.

The 2021 Sorbello Fellows shared the results of their research with an international community of scholars, opening the way to new perspectives and conclusions on the topics they had explored that year. Perugia, at the heart of Umbria and home to the Fondazione Ranieri di Sorbello, provided the perfect setting for a meaningful moment in the work of the Sorbello Foundation.

Why are we telling you about it?
To remind ourselves that historical research is a living process and that it becomes even more meaningful and valuable when it is shared.

Follow us to discover more about the next Biennial Sorbello Conference.

09/17/2026

Today, the international conference “Tastes of Language: Past and Present Italian Culinary Discourse in Anglophone Contexts” begins at Sapienza Università di Roma of Rome, bringing together researchers to explore how Italian culinary culture has been translated, represented, and negotiated in English-speaking contexts.

On September 18, our senior researcher, Dr. Antonella Valoroso , representing the Sorbello Foundation, will present “Translating Taste: Italian Culinary Discourse in The Italian Scene (1953–1969)”, examining the English-language cultural bulletin directed by Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello.

The conference offers a fascinating opportunity to explore how food, language, and cultural identity can become part of a broader dialogue between Italy and the United States.

Keep following us if you love history, especially the stories that connect Italian and American culture and reveal new cultural bridges between people.

09/17/2026

In the United States, September 17 is a day dedicated to remembering the Constitution and the history behind it.

On September 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution in Philadelphia. The document established the framework of the new federal government and became one of the foundations of the American political system.

Today, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is observed every September 17. The occasion is not simply about remembering a historic document. It is also an opportunity to learn more about the Constitution, civic life, and the meaning of citizenship. Federal agencies are required to provide educational materials about the Constitution, while schools and cultural institutions often organize activities and programs around the anniversary.

And what about Italy?
Italy does not have an exact equivalent of Constitution Day. The Italian Constitution was signed on December 27, 1947, and entered into force on January 1, 1948.

Yet, the two countries share an important idea: history is not only something to remember, but something to understand in order to make sense of the present.

Constitution Day offers an opportunity to reflect on how foundational documents shape institutions, civic life, and the relationship between citizens and their government, and on the enduring importance of knowing the history behind them.

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