Italian communities exist in every corner of the world, yet most conversations about the diaspora still revolve around places like New York, Chicago, and New Jersey. Beyond those well-known hubs are generations of families who have preserved regional traditions, recipes, dialects, and customs in ways that are uniquely their own.
That's what inspired Anthony Castelvecchi to create ORIUNDI. After leaving the corporate world, he set out to document the people and places that make up the global Italian experience. From New Orleans to southern Brazil, his travels have revealed just how diverse Italian identity has become. In his conversation with Appetito, he reflects on the communities that left the biggest impression and explains why telling these stories has become his life's work.
What inspired you to leave the corporate world and build ORIUNDI, and why did you feel the global Italian diaspora needed a platform like this?
I needed a career with more purpose — something I'd wake up excited (or frustrated) about every day, because of how much I care. I felt like I had the skills and passion to fill this particular niche, and that there was a real market for it, because so much was being overlooked in the diaspora as a whole, with the focus mostly on Italy itself and a handful of Italian-American communities. People want representation, in life and in the media.
The word oriundi isn't one most Italian-Americans hear often. What does it mean to you, and why did you choose it as your brand's name?
The definition is basically people of Italian descent born outside of Italy. To me, it is meant to represent the entire Italian diaspora. I chose it to encompass the diverse Italian cultures of the world while keeping in mind our shared history.
You've explored Italian communities across several countries. Which destination has surprised you the most, and what did you discover there?
I'd say New Orleans was a surprisingly impactful one. I went for the St. Joseph's Day parade and the weekend's festivities, where generations-old Sicilian traditions have been kept alive. For Italian-Americans, it's a place many have visited but failed to notice the enormous impact the Sicilian-American community has had on this city's food, agriculture, music, architecture, and more.
Food seems to be the common language of every Italian community. Have you found a dish outside Italy that tells a particularly fascinating immigration story?
I have to respect my Chicago roots and give a shoutout to the Italian beef sandwich, which combines two Chicago Italian-American classics — sliced beef and hot giardiniera ("giardiner," as we say). This sandwich came about when poor Italian immigrants working in meatpacking plants brought home the cheap cuts of meat left over at the plant for their families. They used typical Italian flavoring — garlic, onion, oregano, and so on — to season the meat and slow-cooked it to make it softer. Put it on a sandwich with sweet bell peppers and our famous hot giardiniera, and you've got a meal right there!
Many people think of the Italian diaspora as New York, New Jersey, or Chicago. Which lesser-known Italian community deserves far more attention?
The southern, rural, historically Italian regions of Brazil. It's like a time warp — a really unique Italian diaspora community. Many of these areas have stayed homogenous for over a century, and since the immigration came from limited regions in Italy (Veneto, Lombardy, Trentino), a lot of old, localized traditions have survived — the food (polenta is king), the religion, the Venetian language, winemaking — all mixed in with rural Brazilian foods and ways of life.
Have your travels changed the way you think about what it means to be "Italian" today?
Yes, for sure. For starters, Italy itself is wildly diverse. Talk to someone from Bolzano, then follow that up with someone from Palermo, and you'll see what I mean. That same diversity exists within the diaspora, and sometimes I find diaspora communities more closely related to certain regions of Italy than those Italian regions are to each other — Southern Brazil and Veneto, New York City and Napoli, Toronto and Calabria, for example. There's really no definitive answer to what being Italian is today. The message I always try to get across is that we have so much in common — let's celebrate that and leverage it together to move our heritage forward.
If someone wants to reconnect with their Italian heritage but doesn't know where to begin, what are three first steps you would recommend?
Ask as many questions as you can within your family, and research your roots online. Doing this will allow you to find tons of amazing, fascinating information about your family.
Learn standard Italian. Whether you want to connect with your ancestral towns or just have a deeper experience of modern Italy, Italian is the key that unlocks it.
Celebrate your heritage with others. You'll naturally grow more interested and passionate about your Italian heritage when you surround yourself with people who are, too.
Is there one misconception about Italian culture or the Italian diaspora that you find yourself correcting over and over again?
Probably that Italians — or the diaspora — are all the same. People (including ourselves) lump us into one uniform group when in reality there's massive diversity from region to region, and even more once you factor in the diaspora. Italian culture has moved all over the world, and depending on where it landed, it has adapted, frozen in time, or mixed with other cultures.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for ORIUNDI over the next five years?
I plan to visit many more diaspora communities in the US and beyond and document them, as I always do. I'd like to write a book about my research and travels in Italy and the Italian diaspora, and host a streaming series showcasing Italian diaspora food around the world. ORIUNDI will grow into a lifestyle brand with a full line of products.
And who knows what other opportunities might come my way, or what else I might "cook" up!
And of course, I'll keep making informational, thought-provoking content for all my ORIUNDI supporters.
Follow Anthony and ORIUNDI on social media:
Instagram: @oriundi_
Facebook: Oriundi Anthony
YouTube: @oriundigroup
TikTok: @oriundi_
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